MCPS: Mechanical Royalties, Registration & Your Responsibilities as an Independent Artist
By Written by Peter McVeigh
A comprehensive guide to the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society: what it is, how to register, why it matters, and what your obligations are when you self-release or run your own label.
What is MCPS?
The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) is the UK body responsible for collecting and distributing mechanical royalties on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
The word 'mechanical' dates back to the early 20th century, when music was first reproduced mechanically by player pianos that read perforated rolls of paper. Royalties were owed to the songwriter every time their music was physically reproduced in that way. The name stuck, and today it covers every form of music reproduction:
CD and vinyl manufacturing Digital downloads (iTunes, Bandcamp paid downloads, etc.) Interactive streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Tidal) Ringtones and sync-to-device features Video games, apps, and interactive media that incorporate music Broadcast reproductions when a broadcaster creates a copy of your recording for transmission
In simple terms: whenever someone makes a copy of your song, digitally or physically, a mechanical royalty is owed to the songwriter or composer. MCPS exists to ensure that money reaches the right people.
How Does MCPS Relate to PRS for Music?
MCPS does not operate independently. Since 1997, it has been administered as part of PRS for Music, the same organisation that collects performance royalties for songwriters and composers.
This is important to understand because:
You join MCPS separately. Although when you become a Writer or Publisher member of PRS for Music, you have an account with PRS it needs to be associated with the MCPS & there is a separate sign up & fee. One membership does not cover both. Works registered on the PRS portal are covered for both PRS and MCPS purposes. You register your songs once, and both sets of royalties are determined & tracked from the same registration. Royalty statements from PRS for Music will include both performance and mechanical income, though they may be itemised separately on your statement.
Think of it this way: PRS collects the royalty when your song is *performed or broadcast* MCPS collects the royalty when your song is *reproduced or copied*
When your song is streamed on Spotify, for example, both a PRS licence fee (for the broadcast/performance element) and an MCPS licence fee (for the reproduction element) apply. Spotify pays both to PRS for Music, which then distributes each component to the relevant rights holders.
This dual collection is sometimes referred to as a 'joint licence' and it is one of the reasons PRS for Music is so central to a UK songwriter's income.
How to Register: Step by Step
Because MCPS is administered through PRS for Music, registration follows the PRS process:
Step 1: Join PRS for Music Go to www.prsformusic.com and click 'Become a Member'. Choose: Writer membership if you are a songwriter or composer Publisher membership if you own publishing rights or are self-publishing as an independent label Both if you write your own music AND self-release it (recommended for most independent artists)
The Writer membership joining fee is currently £100 (inc. VAT), a one-time payment. Publisher membership has a separate fee structure.
Step 2: Verify your identity and set up your account PRS will ask you to verify your email and may request identity documentation. Once approved, you will have access to the PRS member portal at portal.prsformusic.com.
Step 3: Register your works (songs) This is the most critical step. Log in to the PRS portal and register each of your songs: 1. Click 'Register Works' then 'Register a New Work' 2. Enter the song title exactly as it appears on the release 3. Add all co-writers and their IPI/CAE numbers (each writer must be a PRS/affiliated member) 4. Set the writer share percentages (must total 100%) 5. Add your publisher if applicable, or claim the publisher share yourself if self-publishing 6. Add any ISRC codes if you have them 7. Submit
Step 4: For physical releases, ensure an MCPS licence is in place If you are manufacturing CDs or vinyl, the pressing plant must hold an MCPS licence or you must obtain one. Reputable UK pressing plants typically handle this, but always confirm before proceeding.
Step 5: For digital releases, your distributor handles the licence Digital distributors (CD Baby, DistroKid, eMuBands, TuneCore, etc.) hold blanket MCPS licences covering the streaming and download platforms they distribute to. You do not need to obtain a separate digital licence, but your works must be registered on the PRS portal to ensure royalties are tracked and paid correctly.
Why You Should Register for MCPS
The short answer: because the money is already being collected, and without registration, it cannot reach you.
PRS for Music (including MCPS) holds blanket licences with every major streaming platform, broadcaster, and digital store operating in the UK. Every time your music is streamed on Spotify, downloaded on iTunes, or reproduced for broadcast, a royalty is calculated and held. But that royalty can only be distributed if your song is properly registered against your membership.
Unregistered songs generate income that goes into an 'unmatched' pool. Some of this money is eventually distributed across all members as a general distribution, meaning other writers benefit from royalties that were actually generated by your music. Some of it is retained. Either way, you lose money that is legally yours.
The scale of what MCPS collects: In 2023, PRS for Music distributed over £1 billion in royalties to its members, the first time it crossed that threshold. Mechanical royalties from streaming alone represent a significant and growing portion of that total, driven by the continued growth of subscription streaming services.
Why it matters even if you're not famous: Mechanical royalties are generated by every single stream, not just chart hits. A catalogue of 10 original songs receiving modest but consistent streaming numbers across Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music will generate MCPS royalties year after year. Those amounts compound over time. Artists who registered their works early and consistently report receiving meaningful passive income from catalogues that were never commercially 'successful' in any traditional sense.
Streaming platform requirements: Some platforms increasingly require that works are registered with collection societies before they will be featured in editorial playlists or algorithm-driven recommendations. While this is not yet a universal requirement, the direction of travel in the industry is towards greater transparency and rights verification. Being registered puts you ahead of that curve.
Your Responsibilities as a Self-Releasing Artist
This is the section that many independent artists overlook, and it is one of the most important.
When you release music independently, whether under your own name or under an independent label you have created, you are not just the artist. You are also functioning as the record label and, in many cases, as the music publisher. Each of those roles carries distinct responsibilities in relation to MCPS.
As the person releasing the recording:
If you are manufacturing physical copies (CD or vinyl), you or your pressing plant must hold an MCPS mechanical licence for those reproductions. In practice: Most UK pressing plants (including well-known facilities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) hold blanket MCPS licences and will report the pressing to MCPS automatically. Always confirm this with your plant before signing off on a manufacturing run. If your pressing plant does NOT hold a licence, you must contact MCPS directly (via PRS for Music) to obtain an AP2 licence for the physical release. Releasing physical copies without an MCPS licence in place is an infringement of copyright, even if you wrote the songs yourself. The licence exists to formally authorise the reproduction and to ensure royalties flow to the correct parties, particularly important if any of the songs are co-written.
If you are releasing digitally only, your distributor's blanket licence covers the reproduction right. You do not need to obtain a separate digital MCPS licence. However: You must ensure your works are registered on the PRS portal *before* the release date, so that plays from day one are tracked. Provide your distributor with accurate ISRC codes and writer/publisher information. Discrepancies between what is on the distributor's metadata and what is registered on the PRS portal can delay or prevent royalty matching.
As a self-publishing writer:
If you have no publisher, which is the case for most independent artists, you are technically leaving the 'publisher share' of mechanical (and performance) royalties unclaimed. PRS for Music distributes royalties in two halves: the Writer's Share (50%) and the Publisher's Share (50%). Without a publisher membership, the publisher share may be withheld or redistributed.
To claim your full mechanical royalty entitlement: Join PRS as both a Writer member AND a Publisher member Register your songs under your own publishing name (you can use your own name, or create a simple publishing identity such as 'Your Name Music') Assign yourself as publisher when registering works on the PRS portal
This ensures you receive 100% of both the writer and publisher shares of every mechanical royalty generated by your music.
As a label releasing other artists' music:
If you are running an independent label, even a micro-label releasing music by artists other than yourself, your responsibilities increase: You must ensure all tracks on your releases are registered on the PRS portal by their respective writers before release You are responsible for ensuring physical manufacturing licences are in place You should have written agreements in place with all artists on your label covering how publishing rights and royalties are managed If you are taking a publishing share (which some small labels do as part of their deal structure), you must be a Publisher member of PRS for Music
Common Mistakes to Avoid
After years of working with independent artists navigating MCPS and PRS, the same mistakes come up repeatedly. Here are the ones most worth avoiding:
1. Releasing before registering This is the single most common and costly error. If your music is streamed before your works are registered on the PRS portal, those early plays may generate royalties that cannot be matched to your membership. Some of this income can be claimed retrospectively, but the process is slow and not always successful. Register your works before your release date, ideally at least 4-6 weeks in advance.
2. Incorrect or inconsistent metadata The ISRC code on your distributor's release must match what is registered on the PRS portal. The song title must be identical (even minor variations like 'feat.' or punctuation differences can cause matching failures). Take the time to get this right at the point of registration.
3. Not registering co-written songs properly Every co-writer must be identified when registering a work. If your co-writer is not a PRS member, or is a member of an affiliated society in another country, this must still be noted and their share correctly recorded. Incomplete registration means incomplete royalty distribution.
4. Assuming streaming royalties appear quickly Mechanical royalties from streaming can take 6-12 months to flow through from the platforms to PRS for Music to your account. This is normal. Do not assume there is a problem if you do not see streaming income immediately after release. The system is slow by design, but it does work, provided your registrations are in order.
5. Confusing PPL and MCPS/PRS PPL collects royalties for the recording (the master). MCPS/PRS collects royalties for the song (the composition). They are entirely separate income streams. Many independent artists qualify for both. Make sure you are registered with both organisations.
6. Pressing plant not confirming their MCPS licence Do not assume. Always get written confirmation from your pressing plant that they hold a current MCPS licence and that your release will be reported. Keep that confirmation on file.
What Royalties Will MCPS Collect for You?
Once your works are properly registered and your releases are licensed, MCPS will collect mechanical royalties from:
Streaming platforms Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, and others all hold MCPS licences. Every stream generates a small mechanical royalty per play. Digital downloads iTunes, Bandcamp paid downloads, and similar platforms pay a per-download mechanical royalty. Physical manufacturing CD and vinyl pressings generate a per-unit mechanical royalty, based on the number of copies manufactured. Broadcast reproductions when BBC Radio or a commercial broadcaster creates a production copy of your recording for transmission, a mechanical royalty applies. Sync productions when your music is licensed for use in a film, TV show, or advert, a mechanical licence must be obtained by the production company. For self-negotiated sync deals, contact PRS for Music directly to ensure the licence is correctly issued.
How much can you expect? The per-stream mechanical rate in the UK is small, fractions of a penny per play. But it compounds significantly across a catalogue and across time. An artist with 20 registered works receiving 50,000 streams per month across all tracks will generate meaningful mechanical income over the course of a year. Artists who have been releasing and registering consistently for 5-10 years often report that MCPS/PRS income has become one of their most reliable revenue streams, entirely passive, arriving quarterly regardless of whether they are actively touring or releasing new music.
The key is consistency: register every work, register it correctly, and register it before it is released.