100+ INDIE DISTRIBUTORS IN 20 COUNTRIES HAVE NOW SIGNED UP FOR THE MLC’S DATA PORTAL FOR UNMATCHED ROYALTIES
Thank you Music Business Worldwide for covering the story of this important milestone in my work at The Mechanical Licensing Collective and the independent music industry.
From Idea to Impact: Five Years Later the DURP Expands to 100 Distributors and Pays Millions to DIY Artists
I am thrilled to announce having reached a new milestone in The Mechanical Licensing Collective’s DURP initiative, which I develop and lead to engage music distributors in our efforts to track down and pay unclaimed royalties to independent songwriters — the Distributor Unmatched Recordings Portal (DURP).
As of today, my team has onboarded over 100 independent music distributors in 20 countries to help us find and pay out millions of dollars in unclaimed U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties to independent songwriters around the world.
I am incredibly proud of the impact the DURP initiative has had on the livelihoods of independent artists who did not know these royalties existed. Many of whom I have had the opportunity to speak with directly and to guide them in the process of becoming MLC members.
This announcement comes on a special day – December 6th. Five years ago, on December 6th, 2019, I was invited by the United States Copyright Office to Washington, D.C. to speak at its Unclaimed Royalties Study Kickoff Symposium at the Library of Congress. It was at this symposium where I offered my insights on the DIY music rights administration space and strategic recommendations on how the forthcoming mechanical licensing collective ought to go about developing innovative data and partnership initiatives to reach the DIY artist and small independent rightsholders sector of the global music industry in furtherance of its mandate of the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The next year, in 2020, I joined The MLC as its Head of Third-Party Partnerships and began the research and development on what has become the Distributor Unmatched Recording Portal (DURP), which is both a data insights and technical solution, and a global network of strategic partnerships.
Today, the DURP has made it possible for many DIY independent artists and self-published songwriters to finally receive the royalties they’ve been owed for many years. I am beyond grateful to be in a role where my continued advocacy and support of independent artists can be put into action to effect real change and opportunities in the global music industry.
Here’s to the DURP. 🥂
December 4th – A Day of Gratitude
XII-IV-MMIII (December 4th, 2003) is a special date for me. It is tattooed on my arm. It was the date on which I took complete control of my life and put faith in my determination to build my future against the odds as it were.
On this day, 21 years ago at only 18 years old, I packed my things and took a one-way flight from Cleveland, Ohio to Los Angeles, California to pursue my dreams to work in the entertainment industry.
The second of four children from a working class family in a small town called Bedford, I didn’t have many resources, I didn’t know anyone in Los Angeles, I didn’t have any connections in Hollywood to “put me on,” and when I landed at Bob Hope International Airport in Burbank, I didn’t have a job or a place to live.
What I had was $600, an unapologetic drive to succeed, an aggressive and almost foolish belief in myself to persevere and figure things out.
Over the next 21 years, I’ve endured incredible ups and severe downs, but I consistently found a way to bounce back and achieve higher while helping others along the way. I worked full-time to earn three college degrees — an associate’s degree from Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC), a bachelor’s degree from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and a master’s degree from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). I combined my passion for entrepreneurship and the music industry, and my interest in social justice and community building to develop businesses that have empowered and educated independent music creators around the world. And today, in my role as Head of Third-Party Partnerships at The Mechanical Licensing Collective, my work has a direct positive impact on the livelihoods of songwriters on every continent.
I couldn’t be prouder of my 18 years old self for taking that leap of faith 21 years ago, and despite the hardships I’ve encountered along the way, I am incredibly grateful for the emotional support that I have received from family and friends, especially when my will to thrive and succeed was challenged by circumstances and self-doubt.
As I look ahead to my 40th birthday, in less than 3 months, I am filled with gratitude that the ups and downs in my life have led me to where I am today doing what I love with passion and dedication.
It was risky, but where there is no risk, there is no reward.
Here’s to December 4th. 🥂
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