I am in the process of registering my first song - more or less - to learn as much about the process as anything else. I am NOT an expert on it but I think it's main function is to assist songwriters/publishers in recouping all the streaming royalties that are rightly theirs.

https://www.themlc.com/

The MLC mission statement:

"The MLC will strive to ensure songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the U.S. accurately and on time."

Additional info:

"The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is a nonprofit organization designated by the U.S. Copyright Office pursuant to the historic Music Modernization Act of 2018.

In January 2021, The MLC began administering blanket mechanical licenses to eligible streaming and download services (digital service providers or DSPs) in the United States. The MLC will then collect the royalties due under those licenses from the DSPs and pay songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers.

The MLC has built a publicly accessible musical works database, as well as a portal that creators and music publishers can use to submit and maintain their musical works data. These tools will help ensure that creators and music publishers are paid properly."

I was hoping to see a rival to the HFA. Apparently not:

MLC FAQ

I wonder if they are hiring at the national level…

I’m in the process of gathering the various codes they need.

My music generates nothing. I guess Billy Preston said it best - nothing from nothing leaves nothing. I'd take money for my music but I don't count on it.

My old saying is that, in the pre-Internet days, I wrote songs that nobody heard. Now, I write songs that 10 million people don't hear.