Oct '25 • General discussion
Bonus Gem 💎 (Mechanical Royalties)
Let’s talk about one of the most overlooked income streams in music — Mechanical Royalties 💰
🎵 What They Are:
Mechanical royalties are payments owed to songwriters and publishers whenever a song they wrote is reproduced or distributed — whether physically (like CDs or vinyl), or digitally (downloads and streams).
Think of it this way:
Every time your song is mechanically reproduced — someone has to pay for that copy.
🎧 Where They Come From:
Streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)
Digital downloads (iTunes, Bandcamp, etc.)
Physical sales (CDs, vinyl, etc.)
Ringtones and interactive streams
💼 Who Collects Them:
In the U.S., these royalties are collected and paid out by the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) to the songwriters and publishers.
If you’re an independent artist who owns your publishing, make sure you sign up with The MLC so you don’t leave that money on the table.
We are working on an admin course to help you through this process, coming soon!
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Bonus Gem 💎 (Mechanical Royalties)
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