Frost School of Music's Esteemed Faculty Member Serona Elton Named Head of Education Partnerships For The Mechanical Licensing Collective

Frost’s Professor and Director of the Music Business & Entertainment Industries Program Brings Valuable Expertise to New Licensing and Royalties Organization Created by the Music Modernization Act

 (Coral Gables) The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami is proud to announce esteemed faculty member Serona Elton, Associate Dean of Administration and Director of The Music Business & Entertainment Industries Program has named as Head of Educational Partnerships for the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC).

 Established by the Music Modernization Act (MMA), the MLC is a non-profit entity designated by the United States Copyright office to develop and administer a mechanical licensing system that will launch on January 1, 2021. The MLC will be responsible for collecting and distributing royalties payable to songwriters and copyright owners by digital music services, and for the creation of a first-of-its-kind, public database that will contain critical copyright information on all musical works.

 “I congratulate Professor Elton on her new leadership position in the Mechanical Licensing Collective,” stated Dean Shelton G. Berg.  “Streaming services are now the engine of commerce for recorded music. Having an esteemed member of our faculty in this role ensures that the students in our school, and across the country, understand what they need to do in order to get paid when the songs they write are streamed.”

 “I have been heavily involved with both education, and mechanical licensing and royalties, for close to 15 years, and I am very excited to be working for The MLC where I can bring those two topics together in a way that benefits songwriters and those who support their invaluable creativity, states Professor Elton.  “I also can’t wait to move forward on some key initiatives that will connect music business students across the country with the MLC in innovative and impactful ways.”