The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), the entity that collects mechanical royalties in the US from digital service providers, has been named among Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025.
The milestone comes some six months after the Nashville-based organization announced it had collected and distributed some $2.5 billion in royalties since its inception.
The 2018 Music Modernization Act (MMA) led to the formation of The MLC, tasking it with managing blanket mechanical licenses issued to eligible streaming services operating in the US, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
The recognition comes as the music industry continues to tackle the complexities of rights management in the digital streaming era.
“This selection also recognizes The MLC’s commitment to excellence and its passion for service, which have ensured that the songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers it serves receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the United States accurately and on time,” The MLC said in a statement on Wednesday (March 19).
“The MLC was established by Congress to transform the way rights in the music industry are administered in the United States. From the beginning, our team has risen to that challenge.”
Kris Ahrend, The MLC
“We are incredibly honored and grateful to be recognized by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies,” said Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC.
“The MLC was established by Congress to transform the way rights in the music industry are administered in the United States.
“From the beginning, our team has risen to that challenge and strived to fulfill this shared vision for the benefit of songwriters and their music publishing partners. With this recognition, we reaffirm our commitment to serve and empower our Members, enhance transparency, and drive innovation.”
Since April 2021, the MLC has completed all 48 monthly distributions on time or early. The organization says it has enrolled more than 55,000 members and compiled a database containing ownership information for over 45 million songs.
The MLC’s admission to Fast Company’s list puts it alongside companies that have made “significant contributions through creativity, innovation, and forward-thinking strategies.”
The list also names other music companies including Merlin, a digital music licensing and membership organization for independent labels, distributors and other rightsholders; Seeker Music, the music rights, publishing, and record company led by Evan Bogart; streaming platform SoundCloud; distribution, publishing and licensing service TuneCore; and Music AI, the company behind the Moises music creation platform.
Music Business Worldwide
