The MLC's CEO Kris Ahrend on mechanical licensing in 2023, why artists are so eager for data transparency , and the future of royalties for songwriters

Ep. 128: We’re joined by Kris Ahrend, CEO of the Mechanical Licensing Collective. He gives us an overview of the state of  mechanical licensing in 2023, the big issues from the MLC’s perspective, and the changes he’d like to see happen. He also talks about data transparency, what he thinks artists and songwriters want (and what the MLC are doing to increase clarity for them); the recent Phonorecord III final determination; and what the streaming royalty space will look like in 5 years’ time. The MLC: https://www.themlc.com/ Phil Collins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRY1NG1P_kw Smashing pumpkins: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-pumpkins-smashed-in-one-minute ------ 👉 FREE Amazon Music for Artists courses & certification: ⁠⁠https://learn.musically.com/courses/amazon-music-for-artists/⁠⁠ 👋 ⁠⁠The Knowledge⁠⁠, Music Ally’s free weekly newsletter: ⁠⁠musically.lnk.to/knowledgepo⁠⁠ 🎉 You may be eligible for a FREE Music Ally subscription, worth £399/year, via our ⁠⁠corporate and sponsored subscriptions⁠⁠. If you work for a DSP, a major label, an indie label, or if you’re an artist manager, an employee of a CMO or a publisher, check here to see if you’re eligible: ⁠⁠musically.com/subscription-options⁠⁠ Ⓜ️ Subscribe to ⁠⁠Music Ally⁠⁠'s industry-leading analysis, reporting and news: ⁠⁠musically.com/subscribe⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicallybiz⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/musically⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/musicallyfb