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Audits

Kyran de Keijzer avatar
Written by Kyran de Keijzer
Updated this week


What Audits do

An Audit compares the songwriting credits on your Muso.AI profile with the U.S. Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) database. We look at the recordings (ISRCs) tied to your songs and check whether those recordings are present and properly matched to works (ISWCs) at the MLC. We then flag any discrepancies and estimate impact using stream counts, so you know what to fix first.
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Note: the MLC covers U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties only. If your recording isn’t registered or matched there, U.S. mechanicals are at risk even if other territories/organizations are fine.


Who can run an Audit

  • Individual profiles with songwriting credits. Audits run on a person’s Muso.AI profile (songwriter/artist) that has songwriting credits.

  • Not supported for companies or groups. If you open Audits on a label, publisher, band, or group, you'll be asked to switch to a profile

Access requirements

  • You must have claimed your Muso.AI profile to access Audits.

  • Audits are available only on the Pro or Business plan. Free (Lite) users can preview the dashboard view of their audit but cannot export the full .xlsx report.

  • If you have multiple profiles under your account, only those with Pro features turned on will have full access to export and download.

Before you start (important!)

Your audit is only as good as your profile. Do these first:

  1. Claim & verify your Muso.AI profile.

  2. Merge duplicate profiles so all your credits live in one place.

  3. Add or fix missing songwriting credits (roles, splits, versions, remixes). Once your profile is clean, come back to Audits for the most complete results.

How the Audit works

  1. We take every track where you have a songwriting credit in Muso.AI.

  2. We gather all known ISRCs for each track (there can be more than one per track due to re‑releases, territory codes, edits, etc.).

  3. For each ISRC we check the MLC:

    • Is the recording in the MLC data?

    • If it’s in, is it matched to a work (ISWC) with songwriters?

  4. We classify each track into Critical or Partial issues (see below).

  5. We show Streams to help you prioritize (example: higher play counts usually = higher royalty impact).

  6. You can download the full report as .xlsx and send it to your publisher/admin, or use it to submit fixes yourself.

Note: refresh your audit weekly as new MLC data arrives

Issue types explained

Critical Issues (highest priority)

A track is Critical when all of its ISRCs are either:

  • Unregistered at the MLC (the recording isn’t present at all), or

  • Unmatched in the MLC (the recording is present but not linked to a composition/work and writers).

In either case, U.S. digital mechanical royalties for that recording are not being paid to you until it’s registered and/or matched.
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Partial Issues (lower priority)

A track is Partial when some but not all ISRCs have problems (for example, 1 out of 10 ISRCs is missing/unmatched). The risk of missed royalties is lower because other ISRCs for that track are properly registered and matched, but we still surface these so you can tidy up.
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Why multiple ISRCs? Tracks can have alternate versions, remasters, edits, regional codes, or distributor changes. Each ISRC needs to exist and be matched at the MLC to catch all usage.


Affected Collaborators

The Affected Collaborators list shows co‑writers or composers on your tracks who also have unmatched/unregistered recordings. Use it to invite and alert collaborators so they can fix their side and help close gaps for everyone.
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If your profile has no songwriting credits, the Affected Collaborators section is all you’ll see.


Downloading & sharing your Audit

You can export your audit as an Excel .xlsx file from the web or mobile app:

  • Go to Audits on your profile and click Export Audit.

  • Share the file with your publisher/admin. If you’re independent, you’ll use it to register/match your songs directly with the MLC (and your PRO/publisher where applicable).

What publishers/admins do with the file

  • Register missing works and supply writer info/splits where needed.

  • Submit ISRC↔ISWC matches for unmatched recordings.

  • Correct metadata (titles, versions, alternate ISRCs) and re‑deliver to the MLC.


What the numbers mean in Audits

  • ISRCs affected – count of recordings per issue type.

  • Streams – lifetime stream counts we show to help you prioritize fixes.

  • Collaborators affected – co‑writers with issues on your tracks.

  • Tracks panel – a quick list of examples you can click into.

Tip: Start with Critical issues that have higher Streams and many ISRCs affected

Common scenarios & how to fix them

  • Your credit is missing from MLC but present on Muso.AI → Ask your publisher/admin to submit a correction (or submit as an independent) that adds you as a writer with your share and matches ISRCs to the work.

  • The recording exists at the MLC but is unmatched → Supply the ISWC (or work data) so the MLC can link the recording. Confirm titles and versions line up.

  • The recording isn’t in the MLC at all (unregistered) → Register the work and deliver the ISRC(s) so they can be ingested and matched.

  • Multiple versions/alt ISRCs → Make sure each ISRC is registered and matched, not just the primary release.

  • Covers, medleys, classical → These often have complex work splits and titles. Be extra careful with work identifiers and arranger/adaptation rules.

Limitations & notes

  • Profiles only: Audits don’t run on companies, or groups; they run for individual songwriter profiles.

  • Data scope: Results reflect the latest weekly MLC feed and your Muso.AI credits at the time of refresh.

  • Not legal advice: Use the report to coordinate with your publisher/admin or seek professional guidance when needed.

FAQ

Do I need a paid plan?

Yes. You must be on a Pro or Business plan with Pro features turned on for your profile. Free (Lite) users can preview issues but cannot export the detailed .xlsx file.

Do I need to claim my profile first

Yes. Unclaimed profiles cannot run Audits. Claim and verify your profile to access the feature.

Why does a track have so many ISRCs

Re‑releases, edits, distribution changes, or regional variants. Each needs to be present and matched at the MLC.

The audit looks wrong, what should I do?

First, clean your Muso.AI profile (merge duplicates, add missing credits). If issues remain, export the report and send it to your publisher/admin to review and submit corrections.

How often is my audit updated

Weekly, as new data arrives.

Can I audit a group or company

Not directly. Groups can be used to track multiple individual profiles, but audits still only run on individual songwriter profiles with claimed and Pro-enabled access.

Glossary

  • ISRC – International Standard Recording Code, the identifier for a specific recording (audio file/version).

  • ISWC – International Standard Musical Work Code, the identifier for the composition/work (the song itself).

  • Unregistered – The recording/ISRC can’t be found in the MLC data.

  • Unmatched – The recording exists at the MLC but isn’t linked to a work (no ISWC/writers attached).

  • MLC – U.S. nonprofit that collects and pays digital audio mechanical royalties to songwriters/publishers.

Next steps

  1. Claim your profile (must be claimed/verified to access Audits).

  2. Upgrade to Pro or Business and ensure Pro features are turned on for the profile.

  3. Open Audits → review Critical then Partial issues.

  4. Export the .xlsx report.

  5. Send to your publisher/admin or submit to the MLC if you’re independent.

Your catalog deserves it, and your royalties depend on it.

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