The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announces two initiatives aimed at engaging and educating college students interested in learning more about The MLC and its mission: the launch of its free online micro-course and the expansion of its Student Ambassador Program.

The MLC’s first online micro-course, The MLC 101: Introduction to The MLC, is available to all college students seeking to deepen their understanding of the organization’s role in ensuring songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the U.S. This free course offers a certificate of completion as well as a digital badge upon successfully completing the optional final test. The course can be completed in under 2.5 hours.

In addition, The MLC’s enhanced Student Ambassador Program provides college students the opportunity to engage with The MLC through a 10-week program of activities that include engaging with local songwriters and sharing information about The MLC on their college campus. Participants will gain valuable insights into The MLC while actively contributing to The MLC’s efforts to reach and educate songwriters.

“We’re thrilled to offer our first online micro-course as a way for students to learn about mechanical licensing and The MLC’s role in a self-paced course structure, that includes the opportunity to test their understanding,” says Serona Elton, The MLC’s Head of Educational Partnerships. “Additionally, our enhanced Student Ambassador Program not only provides professional development and networking opportunities for students, but it also empowers students to play an active role in helping music creators collect the revenue they are entitled to.”

The MLC’s Student Ambassador Program is a volunteer program open to all students currently enrolled in college or university courses, with no cost to participate and no geographic limitations. The MLC will provide participants with a variety of educational resources created specifically for students, access to exclusive virtual and in-person events, opportunities to engage directly with The MLC, and more. Through this program, students will deepen their understanding of The MLC’s mission and efforts to serve songwriters and receive official recognition for their participation. The MLC’s Student Ambassador designation is valid for one academic period and may be renewed if all program requirements are successfully met.

To apply, students must complete the application process through The MLC’s online platform. Applicants are required to submit proof of current enrollment at an accredited college, university or institute in the United States and must successfully pass an online video assessment. Applications for the fall 2024 academic period are being accepted through September 30^th.

For more information on the Student Ambassador Program and how to apply, visit themlc.com/students. Those interested in The MLC 101: Introduction to The MLC, can request access to the course on the same web page.

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Since January 2021, The MLC has achieved total royalties distributed of more than $2 billion, at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.  

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.themlc.com

Original article: The MLC Introduces Free Online Micro-Course and Launches Enhanced Student Ambassador Program to Empower the Next Generation of Music Industry Professionals

©2025 Music Insider Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

Creating compelling video can be time-consuming, even for the best-equipped filmmakers, agencies and brands. Finding the right music – and making it fit easily into a video production or across a diverse ad campaign – is often part of the challenge. Starting today, however, Soundstripe users can quickly customize songs in the company’s large music library, creating their own mixes and cuts of tracks in just a few clicks, thanks to a collaboration with music AI technology partner DAACI.

Soundstripe’s new AI Song Editing tool analyzes a song and instantly identifies its short, self-contained sections. Each of these sections sounds natural on its own or combined with others. Editors have full flexibility to rearrange, loop, add, or delete these sections directly in-browser to produce custom variations, lengths, and mixes – and then instantly download them to insert into their projects. When a producer uses the AI Song Editing tool, Soundstripe saves the content ID of the original version of the track, keeping producers within the parameters of the original license while editing the track. 

“Soundstripe is devoted to increasing the value of music by giving marketing creatives and producers more possibilities than ever within our catalog while ensuring they have total confidence to use their custom edits, because they remain recognizable and protected,” says Lauren Cutrell, VP of Product at Soundstripe. “Our promise of protection means artists are always compensated for their work and content creators can be sure the music they use is properly licensed.”

“We’re so excited to partner with Soundstripe, and the collaboration to bring our tech to their users has been an incredible journey. Our tech, the patented DAACI ecosystem, was invented and developed to provide unique solutions for creators and rights holders, and Soundstripe’s approach to integrating AI aligns perfectly with our vision. This first phase brings DAACI Natural Edits to Soundstripe users across 140 countries and it’s just the beginning. There are fantastic times ahead, but for now I’d like to say thanks to all the team and welcome, Soundstripe!” Ken Lythgoe, Head of Corporate Development, DAACI.

Soundstripe remains focused on the music and on supporting the people who make it. This commitment is reflected in their judicious approach to AI, including their partnership with DAACI and other AI companies. Soundstripe already incorporates AI-powered song search and has partnered with Cyanite to integrate a complex tagging and metadata system that simplifies music discovery and licensing. “Whatever the tech, it’s all about creating value for creative teams, musicians, and rights holders,” Cutrell adds.

About Soundstripe

Soundstripe has emerged as a premier music licensing platform within the creator economy and beyond. Soundstripe simplifies the complexities of music licensing, ensuring legal, accessible music for creatives worldwide. Traditional licensing is exclusive, inefficient, and expensive, hindering content creation in a rapidly evolving digital age. Soundstripe has solidified itself as a go-to resource for creatives worldwide, offering a diverse catalog of over 10,000 owned songs, complemented by 50,000 versions and cuts, 70,000 sound effects, and 100,000 video clips. 

Since its inception in 2016 by three professional musicians in Nashville, the company has built a customer base of over one million users globally and has facilitated more than 18 million licensed downloads. What began as one of the pioneering subscription licensing services for freelancers has since expanded to cater to some of the industry’s leading brands including Microsoft, Pepsico, and Nike. Today, Soundstripe operates across various business lines, including self-serve small business, enterprise solutions, and publishing.

About DAACI

DAACI develops next-gen smart and AI creative music tools.

​​​​​​Our series of patented technologies empower music makers to meet the rapidly growing demand for personalized music. Our technologies encompass tools that supercharge the creative process dynamically composing new music in real-time, and smart editing systems that seamlessly adapt existing tracks.

Built by a world-class team of musicians and composers, DAACI’s technology is based on over 30 years of research. Incorporating a growing portfolio of 75 granted patents and supported by partnerships with the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence and Music at Queen Mary University of London and the innovative Abbey Road Red incubator, DAACI is the go-to solution for creators who make and use music.

​​​​​​With our series of pioneering plugins and tools, creators can benefit from our unique approach and our understanding of deep music theory, giving them multiple lifetimes’ worth of musical experience at their fingertips.

Original article: Soundstripe Taps DAACI to Launch AI Song Editor for Customizable Licensed Music

©2025 Music Insider Magazine. All Rights Reserved.