The MLC’s Distributor Unmatched Recordings Portal (DURP) expands its reach, helping to connect even more independent creators with their unmatched royalties.
NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announces that it has now enrolled more than 100 partners in its Distributor Unmatched Recordings Portal (DURP). These partners serve customers in more than 20 countries and include leading music distributors like Believe, CD Baby, DistroKid, Empire, ONErpm, The Orchard, and TuneCore. This milestone highlights the global reach of the DURP initiative and The MLC’s commitment to serving and empowering rightsholders worldwide, ensuring that creators whose songs are available in the United States market receive their digital audio mechanical royalties accurately and on time.
Since its launch, the DURP has provided The MLC with a highly efficient and effective way to identify independent, self-administered songwriters who are not yet receiving their digital audio mechanical royalties in the United States. Through this initiative, millions of dollars in previously unmatched royalties have been identified and distributed to these songwriters.
Distributor partners receive access to a subset of The MLC’s public data that pertains specifically to sound recordings they have distributed. This allows these distributor partners to easily identify their customers who own those recordings and who may also be entitled to receive a share of the unmatched mechanical royalties The MLC has accrued for the songs embodied in those recordings. Participating distributors can then notify their customers about the unclaimed royalties associated with their sound recordings and encourage them to become Members of The MLC and register their songs with The MLC, so that they can receive the unmatched royalties associated with their songs. Distributors that provide publishing administration services can also offer these additional services to their customers, enabling those customers to engage their distributor to collect their mechanical royalties from The MLC on their behalf.
Independent artist and songwriter Austin Meade is one of many creators who discovered thousands of dollars in unclaimed mechanical royalties related to uses of his songs thanks to the help of his distributor and The MLC’s innovative DURP initiative. “Navigating royalties can be incredibly confusing, especially when it involves digging back into a decade of releases,” Meade says. “The MLC revealed a new source of income I didn’t even know existed. I’m grateful for their work in supporting artists like me.”
Independent band, HAUNTER, also discovered royalties through the DURP, saying, “As independent artists, navigating the complexities of music royalties can be overwhelming. Thanks to The MLC, we discovered mechanical royalties we didn’t even know we were entitled to. The MLC made the process simple and transparent, allowing us to claim what’s rightfully ours and focus on creating music while they take care of the rest.”
Songwriter, producer, and author, Taura Stinson, says, "As a self-published songwriter, I quickly discovered that The MLC is the key to accessing mechanical streaming royalties. For any independent writer looking to ensure they’re collecting what they deserve, The MLC simplifies the process and provides invaluable support.”
Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships, who leads the DURP initiative, emphasized the significance of this milestone. Bogan noted, “Surpassing 100 distributor partners worldwide is a testament to the value the DURP provides to independent creators and their distributors. By simplifying the process of identifying and claiming unmatched royalties, we’re helping ensure every dollar reaches its rightful owner.” Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC, added, “The DURP is a first-of-its-kind initiative that was born out of Dae’s well-known and long-held passion for serving and empowering independent music creators. This initiative is a great example of The MLC’s willingness to collaborate with other companies in the industry to find new and innovative ways to fulfill our mission of ensuring that songwriters and their partners receive the digital audio mechanical royalties they have earned.”
For more information about the DURP and to request access, visit www.themlc.com/durp.
