The MLC enrolls Vistex for its Data Quality Initiative

By Emmanuel Legrand

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has launched the Data Quality Initiative (DQI), which will provide a streamlined way for music publishers, administrators and ex-US collective management organizations (CMOs) to compare their musical works’ data with The MLC’s data. 

To achieve a better result, The MLC has partnered with tech solutions company Vistex to enhance Vistex's Music Maestro software package to enable Music Maestro users to participate in the DQI. Participants in the DQI will receive reports "highlighting the discrepancies between the two sets of data so they can easily identify and correct those discrepancies," according to The MLC. 

“Vistex’s Music Maestro product is used by copyright owners all over the world,” noted The MLC’s CIO Richard Thompson. “We wanted to ensure that Vistex’s clients were able to participate in the Data Quality Initiative so that they could see where their works were not being correctly registered with The MLC and take the necessary corrective action.” The MLC will start delivering mechanical rights licenses to DSPs from Jan 1, 2021, and administer these rights on behalf of songwriters and music publishers.

In addition, The MLC has sent a note to all Harry Fox Agency client inviting them to share their account information with the MLC as an opt-in proposal. "In order to receive payment of royalties from The MLC starting in 2021, you will need to sign up with The MLC and set-up a new user account," wrote The MLC. "Once registered, you will need to provide The MLC with your contact, payment, and tax information. With your permission, HFA can share the existing contact, payment, and tax information you have on file with us with The MLC. The MLC will then transfer such information into your new MLC account, saving you the time and trouble of having to resubmit that information in The MLC’s user portal."