The Mechanical Licensing Collective has partnered with the Recording Academy to host a dozen webinars across the country to educate chapter members of the MLCs mandate to match and distribute unpaid royalties to rights holders.
Each webinar will be tailored to a specific market, including Nashville, New York City and Los Angeles, and will be hosted by MLC representatives who will give a full rundown on the importance of the new agency, which recently made its first distribution of mechanical royalties to rights holders.
"We are thrilled to work with the Academy on this webinar series, which builds on our ongoing efforts to reach as many potential MLC Members as possible, provide them with the information they need to join our organization and help position themselves to receive the digital audio mechanical royalties they have earned and deserve," said Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC.
Added Daryl P. Friedman, chief advocacy officer of the Recording Academy: "Academy members were so active in passage of the Music Modernization Act, they should now benefit from The MLC that the Act created. We're pleased to partner with The MLC to reach our membership of creators far and wide and ultimately get royalties into their hands."
The first webinar took place on Tuesday (May 4) for Memphis members, while across the state in Nashville an event is slated for May 17. Academy members will receive a registration link in advance of their local webinar. See the full list below:
Memphis Chapter / May 4
Nashville Chapter / May 17, 2 p.m. CT
Chicago Chapter / May 25, 11:30 a.m. CT
San Francisco Chapter / May 25, 5:30 p.m. PT
Philadelphia Chapter / May 26, 4 p.m. ET
New York Chapter / June 8, 12:30 p.m. ET
Pacific Northwest Chapter / June 15, 3 p.m. PT
Texas Chapter / June 16, 3:30 p.m. CT
Los Angeles Chapter / June 16, TIME TBD
Florida Chapter / June 23, 12:30 p.m. ET
Atlanta Chapter / July 29, 2 p.m. ET
NEWS
Lola Young has joined forces with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to release a new T shirt for the charity’s Lifelines collection.
The shirt supports CALM’s suicide prevention work, with proceeds helping to fund vital resources such as its helpline and CALMzone mental health app.
CALM introduced the Lifelines range last year, with Fontaines D.C., Blossoms and Inhaler also contributing their own designs to the collection.
Young’s design includes the words, “There’s a flicker of light. There’s always morning after the night”, taken from her track ‘Flicker Of Light’.
“I wrote this song about realising there is hope. I have often felt like there isn’t, but there is always a reason to keep going,” Young said. “That’s even when you don’t want to get out of bed, you do, and that is amazing, and you’re still here, and you’re still alive, and if anything, that’s something to be proud of.”
CALM CEO Simon Gunning also shared his appreciation for the collaboration, saying: “We couldn’t be more grateful to Lola for supporting ‘Lifelines’ and showing just how powerful music can be as a force for good.”
Priced at £30, the T shirts come in both standard and boxy fits and are available to purchase here.
Young has regularly spoken about her experiences with mental health. She returned to performing earlier this year after calling off her 2025 tour because of exhaustion. The decision followed her collapse during a performance in New York City. During her time away, she later discussed receiving support for addiction and attending AA meetings as part of her recovery.
In an interview with NME in May, Young explained that she believes “all healing journeys are never ending”, although she is now “definitely in a much better place”. She also said she feels “excited and ready to perform and to release music”.
Reflecting on the encouragement she received after publicly discussing those challenges, Young said: “My fans inspire me in the same way I hope to inspire them. I feel like I’ve never tried to be especially honest… it just comes very naturally to me.”
“I don’t really have any other choice but to be honest, so if people connect to that, and that’s amazing.”
Several musicians have also applauded the ‘Messy’ singer for honestly addressing the pressure placed on touring performers. Lily Allen said she was “in awe” of the BRIT and Grammy winner, while Victoria Canal credited Young with bringing greater attention to the damaging impact demanding tour schedules can have on artists’ mental wellbeing.
When NME asked whether musicians were beginning to establish firmer boundaries around their health, Young replied: “I never intended it to start a movement, but I hope that it does in some way.”
