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3 Things Music Publishers Can Do Now to Prepare for Market Share Distributions

The MLC’s monthly market share distributions will begin in April 2027, starting with remaining eligible unclaimed accrued royalties from January 2021 usage.

Publishers can take these three steps now to help ensure their musical works data is accurate and up to date.

 

1. Review and claim ownership shares.

Use The MLC’s Claiming Tool to search for musical works in The MLC’s database that may be missing your ownership share. Review the available work and ownership information and claim the share you administer. The Claiming Tool can also help identify works that have already been registered, so you can avoid creating duplicate registrations.

 

2. Register missing works.

Review your catalog to identify musical works that are not yet registered with The MLC. Before registering a work, search The MLC’s database to make sure it hasn’t already been registered. Depending on the size of your catalog and your workflow, you can register works individually, use the Bulk Work Registration Tool, or submit a Common Works Registration (CWR) file.

 

3. Review unmatched sound recordings.

Use The MLC’s Matching Tool to review sound recordings reported by digital service providers that The MLC has not yet matched to registered musical works. You can suggest matches between these recordings and works in your catalog. For publishers managing large catalogs, bulk matching options may also help address outstanding matches.

 

Keep your catalog data up to date.

Regularly review your catalog to make sure work registrations, ownership claims, and recording match suggestions are accurate and complete. Publishers can also encourage their songwriters to use The MLC’s Songwriter Hub to review their catalog information and flag missing or potentially inaccurate data.

 

Learn more

Visit The MLC’s Market Share webpage for more information about the distribution process and steps rightsholders can take now. Publishers and administrators can also contact their Publisher Relations representatives with questions.
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