The MLC x Culture: Call For Speakers [Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Latin, LGBTQ, Native American]











The MLC x Culture
🔊 CALL FOR SPEAKERS • CREATORS & PROFESSIONALS
For the past three years, among other responsibilities, I’ve had the honor of developing cultural initiatives at The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) that shines a spotlight on the works and careers of music creators and music industry professionals from historically underrepresented cultural groups. Through a variety of curated virtual and in-person programs, we’ve unpacked and engaged in discussions on issues impacting the careers and creative expressions of individuals from maginalized groups while conducting outreach and education to welcome songwriters, composers, and lyricists from these groups to join The MLC.
I am pleased to announce my 2023 call for Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Latin, LGBTQ, and Native American and Alaska Native music creators and music industry professionals to be considered for cultural programming throughout the year, including key culture/heritage months.
Key months for cultural programming includes:
- Black History Month (February)
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May)
- Black Music Month (June)
- LGBT Pride Month (June)
- Hispanic Heritage Month (September-October)
- American Island and Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
If you are an emerging or established music creator (songwriter, composer, lyricist) or working music industry professional who identifies as a member of one of the aforementioned cultural groups and would like to be considered for participation in upcoming virtual programs, please contact me to discuss. (dae.bogan [at] themlc.com)
If you know of someone who you believe would be a good fit, I would appreciate an introduction.
Happy New Year Songwriters! You’ve Got New Royalties
Happy New Year Songwriters & Music Publishers!
Take note of the new mechanical royalty rates that are now in effect for the use of your songs in the United States:
As of January 1, 2023, royalty rates are as follows:
• Physical / Permeant Download: 12¢ per minute or 2.31¢ per minute or fraction thereof, whichever amount is greater
• Interactive Streaming / Limited Downloads / Locker Services / Other Digital Deliveries: 15.1% of Service Revenue or Total Content Cost Prong Calculation, whichever amount is greater by offering.
As a reminder, if you own the publishing in your songs, you may be eligible to join The Mechanical Licensing Collective to get paid directly 100% of your digital audio mechanical royalties. This is a separate royalty stream, which your PRO (ASCAP / BMI / SESAC) does not collect or pay out. You earn two songwriter royalties when your songs are streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and other digital music services. You earn a performance royalty (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) and a mechanical royalty (The MLC).
Learn more about The MLC at http://www.themlc.com and join for free today!
About The MLC in 60 Seconds:
The MLC Unveils New Portal For Independent Music Distributors





I am extremely proud 😁 to announce the launch of a game-changing program that I’ve been championing and developing at The Mechanical Licensing Collective for over 2 years:
The MLC’s Distributor Unmatched Recordings Portal (DURP) is a first-of-its-kind portal that enables independent music distributors to, for the first time, view the recordings they’ve distributed to digital music services (e.g. Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, Pandora, Tidal) that may be accruing unclaimed digital audio mechanical royalties for artists and songwriters.
After 12+ years of representing and advising music creators, advocating for music creators, and empowering music creators with education and resources to protect their copyrights and unlock royalties, I am thrilled to offer independent music distributors a tool to help music creators claim millions of dollars in unclaimed royalties from over 2 million unmatched recordings at The MLC.
I would like to thank DURP beta users Believe, TuneCore, CD Baby, Symphonic Distribution, EMPIRE, Vydia, and Repost by SoundCloud for their support and early feedback.
Music distributors can learn more, register for our upcoming info webinar, and request access to DURP at http://www.durp.themlc.com.
The MLC to Celebrate Black Music Month with ‘For The Culture’ One-Day Summit in Nashville

June is BLACK MUSIC MONTH! I am thrilled to announce something I’ve been developing for months now:
The Mechanical Licensing Collective and Nashville Music Equality presents For The Culture: Empowering Black Music Creators to Achieve Beyond Reach
🗓 Tuesday, June 21st
⏰ 10am to 6pm
📍 The Mechanical Licensing Collective (Nashville)
Join us for this one-day summit celebrating the evolution of Black Music and its unique and ever-growing impact on the music industry. The event will feature panels designed specifically for Black music creators that both explore creative business strategies and examine the overall royalty landscape, networking opportunities for attendees and a host of live music performances.
◾️AGENDA◾️
10:00am – Check-In
10:30am-11:00am – Opening Discussion: “How Did We Get Here? A Coffee Conversation on the Evolution of Black Music” – The day will kick-off with a conversation to set the tone for the events ahead. Grab a cup of coffee and sit in as three music industry executives discuss the influence of African Americans on popular music. What’s in a genre? Looking to the evolution from Ragtime > Blues > Jazz > R&B > Rock & Roll > Hip-Hop; the commercialization of Black music and the exploitation of Black artists; and more.
Panelists:
• Dae Bogan (Moderator) – Head of Third-Party Partnerships, The Mechanical Licensing Collective and Billboard Digital Power Player
• Brennen Boose – Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications National Museum of African American Music
• Shannon Sanders – Executive Director of Creative, BMI Nashville and 3X GRAMMY Award-Winning Producer
11:15am-12:15pm – “Breaking Through the Noise: Creative Business Strategies for Black Music Creators”
Panelists:
• Shannon Sanders (Moderator) – Executive Director of Creative, BMI Nashville and 3X GRAMMY Award-Winning Producer
• Derek Minor, Grammy Award-winning artist and producer. Co-Founder of We Own Now as well as hip-hop record label Reflection Music Group (RMG)
• Mimi McCarley, Founder of Collab Music Network & Co-Founder of Nashville is Not Just Country Music and We Own Now
12:30pm-1:30pm – “Black Dollars: Unlocking U.S. Digital Music Royalties for Black Music Creators” – Be prepared to take notes and ask questions as this informative panel of music business experts dive into the fundamentals (copyright ownership and publishing), royalty streams (interactive, non-interactive, downloads), post-MMA era rights and entitlements, songwriter challenges, Digital Music Royalties Landscape, and more.
Panelists:
• Dae Bogan (Moderator) – Head of Third-Party Partnerships, The Mechanical Licensing Collective and Billboard Digital Power Player 2019
• Alandis Brassel – Entertainment Attorney, Manager, Assistant Professor of Music Business – University of Memphis
• Cheryl Potts – CEO, Cleerkut Royalty
• George Monger – CEO, Connect Music
1:30pm – 2:30pm – Networking Lunch sponsored by BMI Nashville
2:30pm-4:30pm – The Black Opry Experience – A conversation with the founder of Black Opry, artist conversations, and acoustic performances. Hosted by Gina Miller (SVP & General Manager, MNRK Music) and Kortney Toney (Marketing, Inclusion & Outreach Manager, Naxos of America)
4:30pm-6pm – Closing Reception sponsored by The MLC
Members of The MLC can learn more and reserve your spot at http://www.themlc.com/fortheculture
Tuning Into Pride (2022): An LGBT Music Industry Roundtable Moderated by Dae Bogan

Wednesday, June 1 at 3 p.m. ET | 2 p.m. CT | Noon PT
This special webinar will feature a compelling discussion on the issues and careers of LGBT creators and professionals in the music industry, as well as an engaging Q&A session during which panelists will unpack and discuss how their identities have impacted their work and personal journeys. The webinar will be moderated by The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships Dae Bogan.
Learn more at http://www.themlc.com/pride
[Video] Artist Managers Connect presents AMA About The Mechanical Licensing Collective with Dae Bogan

Is the blanket license royalty rate determined after the majors have negotiated their license with the DSPs?
Does registration with the MLC supersede registrations with HFA and MRI?
If a song was previously licensed under the voluntary license, does it now have a secondary revenue to coming from the blanket license, or do you have to choose one path over the other?
Will the MLC establish reciprocal mechanical collections with foreign mechanical CMOs such as MCPS and AMCOS?
Watch me answer these questions and many more from artist managers in my “Ask Me Anything About The Mechanical Licensing Collective”
Watch: https://youtu.be/Kz43LyYXMUI
[Video] Songtrust Presents ‘Let’s Talk Music Publishing: The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)’ With Dae Bogan

Watch the recording of Songtrust’s webinar.
Description: With the beginning of the new year, as the initiation of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) begins, songwriters have a lot of questions about how this will affect them in 2021 and beyond. Join the Songtrust team, along with special guest Dae Bogan, Head of Third Party Partnerships at The MLC, to discuss everything you need to know about The MLC and their relationship to Songtrust.

[Rewind] On This Day Last Year I Spoke At The Library Of Congress

On this day last year, at the invitation of the Honorable Steve Ruwe, a United States Copyright Royalty Judge, I went to Washington, D.C. to participate in the U.S. Copyright Office’s Unclaimed Royalties Study Symposium and speak at The Library Congress on strategies for the effective outreach and engagement of music publishers and independent songwriters. A few months later I joined The Mechanical Licensing Collective as its Head of Third-Party Partnerships to develop and execute strategies to reach and empower music publishers and independent songwriters, composers, and lyricists.
#TBT Reflecting On Being Named A Billboard 2019 Digital Power Player And Looking To The Future Of Music Rights

Exactly one year ago, I was named a Billboard 2019 Digital Power Player in recognition of my work at the intersection of music rights and technology.

As the founder and CEO of two music rights software companies—TuneRegistry and RoyaltyClaim—I empowered independent music creators and rights-holders from over 40 countries with tools to protect and administer their copyrights in the United States and to uncover unclaimed royalties and music licenses around the world.
I started my career in the music industry as an independent artist and self-published songwriter, then evolved into an advocate of music creators as first an artist manager and eventually the owner/operator of an independent record label and independent music publishing company. Later, I pivoted from being hands-on the music to conceptualizing and developing technological solutions to address some of the challenges I faced while wearing the many hats that I had worn.
Today, I am writing yet another chapter in my career book as the Head of Third-Party Partnerships at The Mechanical Licensing Collective and as a Lecturer of Musicology (music industry entrepreneurship) at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. At these organizations I play a new role in supporting music creators from the earliest start of their careers through the legacy of their musical works.
As I reflect on my passion and look to the future I am excited to imagine how I can contribute in some meaningful way to the careers and livelihoods of thousands of music creators; especially independent artists and self-published songwriters.