August 20th, 2026 – AIMP x The MLC

What You Need to Know About Unmatched and Unclaimed Royalties and the Steps You Can Take Today

Join AIMP National Chair Frank Handy in conversation with Kris Ahrend, CEO of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), for a discussion about the importance of accurate catalog information and the steps you can take to help ensure no royalties are left unmatched or unclaimed.

Under the Music Modernization Act, remaining unmatched and unclaimed royalties will eventually be distributed to rightsholders through a market share distribution process. During this session, attendees will learn how the process works, what rightsholders should know, and the steps publishers can take now to review their catalog information and help keep it accurate and up to date.

Kris Ahrend is the Chief Executive Officer of The MLC, where he leads the organization in its mission 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. Under his direction, The MLC has achieved total royalties distributed of over $4 billion and grown membership to over 90,000 Members to date. In recognition of the organization’s impact under his leadership, The MLC received the Music Business Association’s 2024 Impact Award for Technological Excellence, honoring its innovative approach to solving challenges in the modern music industry. In 2025, The MLC was also named one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, underscoring its continued commitment to technological and operational excellence.

Before joining The MLC, Kris served as the President of U.S. Shared Services for Warner Music Group (WMG), where he led the development and launch of WMG’s Center of Excellence for Shared Services in Nashville and oversaw the operations of 15 functional teams providing a variety of administrative, financial, and legal services to WMG’s U.S.-based publishing teams, record labels, and corporate divisions. Prior to launching the Center of Excellence, Kris served as the Head of Business & Legal Affairs for WMG’s catalog label, Rhino Records, in Los Angeles, and then led a large legal, financial, and administrative shared services organization within WMG that he helped to create.

Kris started working in the music industry in New York City, where he held positions in the Law Department at Sony Music and then the Business and Legal Affairs Department at Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

A graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the Washington & Lee School of Law, Kris began his legal career as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He then spent several years in private practice, working in the New York office of the international law firm Simpson Thacher.

Kris is a respected and recognized leader in the music industry. In 2021, he was named to Billboard magazine’s list of Change Agents, which honored leaders in the music community who led by both advocacy and example during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also received an Indie Spirit Award in 2021 from The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) in recognition of his contributions to the independent music publishing community. In 2022, Kris was named to Billboard magazine’s Power List, and in 2023, 2024, and 2025, he was named to Nashville Post’s In Charge annual list of the most influential people in the music industry.

Kris is a proud member of the Nashville business and music communities. He serves on the boards of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Downtown Partnership, is a member of the Executive Committee of the Recording Academy’s Entertainment Law Initiative, serves on Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey College of Business Advisory Board, and participates in the Nashville State Music Tech Advisory Council. A lifelong musician, Kris resides in Nashville with his wife, Karen, and two sons.

Frank Handy is a seasoned music industry executive with over two decades of experience in music publishing and administration. Currently serving as Vice President of Catalog Royalties Administration at peermusic, he plays a pivotal role in overseeing the company’s global catalog, ensuring accurate royalty distribution, and optimizing revenue streams for songwriters and publishers.

 Since commencing his career at Bug Music (now BMG) in 2005, where he ascended to the role of Senior Copyright Administrator, Frank has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to serving music creators. He subsequently transitioned to Bicycle Music (now Concord) before joining SONGS, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the company into one of the foremost independent music publishers globally.

During his tenure at SONGS, Frank worked closely in servicing iconic songwriters such as The Weeknd, Lorde, Diplo, DJ Mustard, the George Gershwin estate, and many others. As the Vice President and Head of Operations and Administration at Position Music, Frank oversaw global copyright, royalties, licensing, income tracking, YouTube and digital distribution operations. He also played a key role in identifying new revenue opportunities and collaborated with the Vice President of Finance in evaluating catalog acquisitions and artist signings.

Frank currently holds the position as President (Los Angeles Chapter) and National Chair of the AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers), further underscoring his commitment to music creators.

For years, at least in the music industry, the dispositive view was that termination rights under U.S. Copyright law operated only within the United States and not on a world-wide basis.  Join us as we discuss how the 5th Circuit upended years of legal understanding and music industry practices.

SPEAKER:
Tim Kappel: Founder of Wells & Kappel, LLP / Lead Attorney for plaintiffs in Vetter v. Resnik

MODERATOR:
J. Charley Londoño: Attorney at Counsel Plus, Co.

Tim Kappel is a founding partner of the law firm Wells & Kappel, LLP. Tim represents a diverse group of creators, professionals, businesses, and organizations in the music industry. His practice encompasses both transactional matters and complex civil dispute resolution, providing him with a unique perspective and ability to advise clients in multiple aspects of their careers.
 
In addition to his legal practice, Tim is an educator at Loyola University New Orleans, where he teaches courses on law, revenue streams, and public policy in the music industry. Tim is also heavily involved in industry organizations and advocacy groups. He is the current President of the regional Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy and serves on the boards of several other nonprofit organizations, including Louisiana Music Partners.

J. Charley Londoño of Counsel Plus, Co. brings a unique blend of legal expertise and industry experience to his practice in entertainment, copyright, and trademark law. Admitted to both the California and Florida bars, Charley has built a distinguished career representing clients in the complex intersections of intellectual property and entertainment.

His deep understanding of the entertainment industry stems from his previous career as a radio promotion executive at major record labels including MCA, IRS, A&M, and Arista Records, as well as his experience managing recording artists and working as a booking agent, giving him invaluable insight into multiple facets of the entertainment business.

Charley currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Association of Independent Music Publishers and is a past president of the California Copyright Conference.

Understanding the Social Media Landscape, Copyright Compliance, and Practical Licensing Solutions

Litigation against brands for their use of music in social media ads and promo clips has become big news over the past five years. Despite multiple settlements, lingering questions remain for the music industry on how to address ongoing infringements and solve music licensing hurdles on a prospective basis.

This webinar panel brings together representatives from the influencer, brand, copyright enforcement, and music licensing solution communities to provide their perspectives on how brand and influencer agreements work, how influencers select music for ads and promo clips, tools available to independent publishers for addressing pre-existing infringement, and pitch a forward-looking music licensing solution.

After attending this session, publishers should have a strong understanding of how influencer campaigns work, the challenges for licensing these campaigns, ways to protect and enforce intellectual property rights, and a leading proposal for music licensing influencer campaigns on a prospective basis.

Join Jeff Brabec, Todd Brabec, and Serona Elton for a deep dive into music rates, royalties and fees in 2025 and beyond. Topics include:

  • Copyright Royalty Boards
  • Rate Courts
  • Legislation and litigation
  • Rates set by statute in some areas (mechanicals and sound recordings)
  • Negotiated rates in other areas (songs in films, television, ads and video games)
  • Consent Decrees
  • Mandatory arbitration and other dispute resolution and rate setting procedures
  • Collection agents created by Congress
  • Neighboring rights exclusions
  • Multiple types of performing rights organizations with differing contracts, payment schedules, and ownership
  • Direct and source licenses
  • Non-interactive versus interactive streaming rules and payouts
  • Reciprocal agreements between countries

These are just some of the factors that must be considered when dealing in the world of rates, royalties and fees in the world’s largest music market. This panel will discuss what you need to know when navigating this increasingly complex world of Performances, Mechanicals and Sync.

A timely webinar exploring how AI is reshaping music licensing – and where new opportunities for revenue are emerging.

Moderated by AIMP LA President and National Chair Frank Handy (peermusic), this conversation will spotlight some of the companies and executives leading the way toward responsible innovation and practical solutions. 

Panelists include:

• Nick Venti, Co-Founder & CEO of TYGER AI, building next-generation music technology for games and digital experiences.

• Drew Silverstein, President, Head of AI Strategy at SourceAudio, whose AI dataset licensing marketplace is generating nearly $10 million in new annual revenue for artists, labels, and publishers.

• Alex Haskell, General Counsel & Head of Global Affairs at ElevenLabs, a former White House and Senate Counsel now helping shape AI’s legal, policy, and music initiatives.

• Seth Goldstein, General Counsel & VP of Business & Legal Affairs at Music AI, bringing deep expertise in balancing the needs of creators, rights holders, and tech innovators.

Together, these leaders will unpack how AI companies are approaching licensing, what “good players” in the space are doing to properly value music, and how publishers, songwriters, and rights holders can tap into entirely new streams of income. From dataset licensing to in-product music applications, the discussion will highlight both the challenges and opportunities that come with this rapidly evolving landscape.

This is a must-attend event for anyone curious about where music and AI intersect, and how the publishing community can ensure creators are compensated fairly in the next era of innovation.

Join AIMP LA’s next webinar for an engaging conversation about how the sports and publishing worlds intersect. We’ll delve into TV licensing, in stadium licensing, and what kind of songs work best for placements. The panel features John Adams (The Score), Meredith Fox (Meredith Fox, LLC), Geena Martorana (MLB Network), Kevin Wilson (ESPN), and AIMP LA director Andrew Wixen (Simplify Music – and a Dodgers season ticket holder!) as moderator.

As AI, analytics, and algorithms become increasingly integrated into the music industry, we’re all learning to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape. We’ll explore how data-driven tools are influencing how writers are discovered, signed, developed, and pitched, without losing sight of the instinct and human connection that have always been core to music publishing. We’ll also look at how AI is being used to organize and enhance catalogs, from smarter metadata tagging to more strategic pitching for sync and beyond. Join our panel of independent publishers, A&R executives, and music tech experts on how they’re using these tools responsibly, what’s actually working, and how we can strike the right balance between metrics and gut instinct in shaping the future of indie music publishing.

Moderated by MARC CARUSO, CEO/CO-FOUNDER ANGRY MOB MUSIC.

Panelists:

CHRIS MARTIGNAGO, VP OF A&R PRESCRIPTION SONGS

Chris Martignago, based in Nashville, TN, is Vice President of A&R at Prescription Songs recognized for his achievements developing creative talent.

With over 14 years of experience in A&R, Martignago began his career in 2012 by helping to establish the A&R Research department at Atlantic Records prior to joining Prescription Songs in 2021.

Martignago has worked on a diverse group of gold and platinum-certified chart-topping songs over the course of his career with artists that include Paramore, Marshmello, Saweetie, A Day to Remember, Stephen Sanchez, Devin Dawson, Wilder Woods, Anna Clendening, Ingrid Michaelson, Galxara, Matoma, Shinedown, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Martignago has built an impressive roster at Prescription Songs including Grammy-nominated and award-winning creatives such as Anderson East, Trent Dabbs, JT Daly, Nick Lobel, Tony Esterly, Brett Truitt, Josie Dunne, Dominique Sanders, Derik Fein, Heather Russell and Vancouver Sleep Clinic.

Martignago regularly volunteers with local schools and art programs. He is also the founder of HELL YES!—an online community that showcases emerging songwriters, hosts annual songwriting camps and events, including PLAYBACK, a partnership with PøpSquad founder, Wes Davenport. Through this platform, Martignago has provided invaluable resources and opportunities for independent songwriters, producers, and artists to forge real-world connections. His mission is to advocate for creatives, bridging the gap between local artistry and a global music industry.

Currently, Martignago is using his unique blend of analytical and creative experience to grow the presence of Prescription Songs in Nashville through innovative signings and timeless songs.

VICKIE NAUMAN, FOUNDER/CEO CROSSBORDERWORKS

Vickie Nauman specializes in the intersection between technology and music, focused on music licensing, creating new business models, products, relationships and rights; helping grow companies; and global strategic development.  She is Founder and CEO of the Los Angeles-based boutique consulting and advisory firm CrossBorderWorks and has an ambitious portfolio of forward-thinking companies in gaming, tech, consumer electronics, M&A and music since 2014.  

A digital music pioneer and tech enthusiast, Nauman worked on product for one of the first legal digital services MusicNet (RealNetworks JV), led strategic partnerships for connected device company Sonos, started and ran the US business for global music platform 7digital, and did early digital music business in China as a consultant. She built one of the first DMCA-compliant services at taste-making Seattle station KEXP and has an MBA through the London School of Economics, NYU-Stern, and HEC-Paris, in the executive program TRIUM.  She is an advisor and subject matter expert to some of the world’s most innovative companies, including those in gaming, M&A, platforms, apps, rights-related, strategic growth, and early-stage startups in music/tech. Client base includes Beat Saber/Meta, Riot Games, Harman Kardon, Musical AI, Downtown Holdings, various Roblox projects and more listed on LinkedIn.


GRAYSON SANDERS, CO-FOUNDERS/CEO CHORDAL

Grayson is the Co-Founder & CEO of Chordal. Chordal is a fast growing music licensing platform focused on elevating artist and songwriter opportunities in visual content via a revolutionary, collaborative rights management technology. Grayson began his career in classical music as symphonic composer in residence for NYU Symphony while working on commissions for New York area contemporary chamber ensembles. He soon turned his focus to experimental multimedia, co-founding art collective Aytia Matia which hosted warehouse scale events in Brooklyn fusing music, art, and technology in the early 2010’s. In 2015, he co-founded the Emmy winning music agency Safari Riot, which has since facilitated 8+ figures of sync licensing deals for artists in its 9 year history. In 2019, Chordal was born as a collaboration between several leading music companies & music supervision firms, with a focus on streamlining the complex and disjointed processes currently limiting the music industry’s ability to fully access sync licensing revenue streams. Chordal now serves hundreds of rights holders from majors to leading independents.

AIMP LA’s annual marquis event at Lawry’s the Prime Rib with special guest, NMPA President and CEO David Israelite, as he discusses current music publishing matters.

Download David Israelite’s Presentation Slides here.

David M. Israelite is President and CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), a position he has held since February 2005. Israelite is responsible for overseeing all aspects of NMPA’s operations, from legal strategy and implementation to government affairs and advocacy. His leadership has produced revolutionary successes on behalf of publishers including the largest CRB rate increase in history, groundbreaking industry collaboration in royalty rate agreements, landmark settlements and model licenses with streaming platforms, and ultimately raising the profile of the publishing community. Additionally, Israelite was instrumental in guiding the effort to modernize copyright laws culminating in the Music Modernization Act (MMA) and the subsequent creation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). He has been named to Billboard’s Power 100 multiple times and serves on the boards of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Association and Special Olympics DC. He also serves as the President of the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation (Supporting Our Next Generation of Songwriters) which supports songwriters through funding scholarships and direct services, among other assistance. Prior to leading NMPA, Israelite held senior positions in various capacities for the U.S. government including at the Department of Justice where he served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General of the United States and was appointed Chairman of the Department’s Task Force on Intellectual Property. He also worked in the U.S. Senate where he was Administrative Assistant (Chief of Staff) for Missouri Senator Kit Bond. Previously, Israelite also practiced law in the Commercial Litigation Department at the firm of Bryan Cave, LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. Israelite earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri and his undergraduate degree from William Jewell College.

An exciting and insightful webinar as we dive into the world of punk rock and its impact on music publishing. This session explored how iconic songwriters from the punk rock world discovered music publishing and some of the lessons they learned along the way. Featuring Jennifer Finch (Visual and Music Artist/L7), Brett Gurewitz (Mothership Music Publishing, Bad Religion), and Molly Neuman as moderator (CD Baby, Bratmobile).

Join us for an enlightening discussion about the world of music and advertising as we delve deep into the prestigious Clio Music Awards. This exclusive webinar will explore the profound impact of music on advertising campaigns and dissect what it takes to win a Clio Music Award. We will explore the dynamic intersection of music and marketing, uncovering the role that music plays in shaping brand identities and the overall consumer experience.
The Clio Music Awards: Celebrating Excellence
• An overview of the Clio Awards and its significance in the creative industry
• Focus on the Clio Music Awards – its history, categories, and past winners
• Highlighting the impact of the Clio Music Awards on the music and advertising industries
• Learn about the submission & judging process, criteria, and what sets award-winning entries apart.
Creativity and Innovation in Music-Driven Campaigns
• Exploring the emotional connection between music and consumers
• The science behind choosing the right music for a brand
• How music enhances brand identity to build emotional connections with consumers
About Clio
Clio is the premier international awards competition for the creative business. Founded in 1959 to celebrate creative excellence in advertising, Clio today honors the work and talent at the forefront of the industry in a variety of specialized fields, including: sports, fashion, music, entertainment, cannabis and health. As a leading authority on the diverse and ever-changing creative landscape, Clio celebrates creativity 365-days-a-year via its global ad database Ads of The World and its content platform Muse by Clio . View an overview trailer on our website .
Speakers
• Michael Kauffman
Michael Kauffman is the Executive Director of the Clio Music and Clio Cannabis programs at The Clio Awards, the premier awards competition for the creative business. Clio Music honors creativity in advertising and marketing for artist promotion and brand collaborations, as well as the use of music in ads, trailers, and film & video. Clio Cannabis celebrates the creative work and creators at the forefront of cannabis marketing and communications. Prior to his current role, Kauffman held senior marketing and corporate communications roles at YouTube, Google, and RightsFlow, a licensing and rights-management start-up acquired by Google. He also held sales and commerce roles with Universal Music Group’s Verve and BMG’s Windham Hill record labels.
• Peymon Maskan
Peymon Maskan is a first generation Iranian American Music Supervisor based in Los Angeles, California. His first film credit was as Music Coordinator on Blue Crush in 2002 before proceeding to Music Supervise over 30 film and series before joining Apple’s bespoke ad agency Media Arts Lab in 2012. He brought his filmic sensibilities to many of Apple’s iconic long-form ads, like Emmy Award winning “Misunderstood” featuring beautiful bespoke song by Cat Power. Maskan became the Global Music Director in 2017, and in 2018 brought Cannes Lion Grand Prix winning & Spike Jonez Directed “Welcome Home,” featuring FKA Twigs and “Til It’s Over” by Anderson Paak. 2018 also introduced the Grand Clio Music winning ad “Share Your Gifts” with original song by Billie Eilish (produced by Finneas O’Connell). Maskan also loved participating to Apple’s longstanding reputation of breaking bands through sync, launching Marian Hill’s “Down”, Hudson Mohawk’s “Chimes”, Son Lux’s “Dream State”, Snoh Aalegra’s “Nothing Burns Like The Cold” and Noga Erez’s “Dance While You Shoot” to a worldwide audience. Maskan started Radish Music at the top of 2020 to return to film while continuing his work in advertising. He is currently Music Supervising Netflix’s 2024 series A Man In Full, starring Jeff Daniels & Directed by Regina King (written by David E. Kelley) and Dev Patel’s Directorial debut Monkey Man. He also teamed up with Finneas O’Connell again on his first film score for The Fallout, which won Grand Jury Prize at SXSW 2021 and was later distributed by HBO. Ad wise, Maskan continues to break new ground, working with Soulwax to launch Apple’s Airpod Max, Lil Nas X for Logitech’s Super Bowl and Grammy ads, which launched the #1 song “Montero” into popular culture. Maskan did the same with Logitech’s follow up ad a year later, launching LIzzo’s “Special” in an ad-premier exclusive. In 2022, he placed Thumpasaurus’ “Struttin” in a Samsung ad, which caused the song to explode online.
Moderator
• Marc Caruso

A practical panel addressing everything you need to know about complex clearances, copyright splits, and royalty streams. We’ll also address how companies such as Tracklib and Splice come into play. Join us for a high level conversation with experienced industry professionals.
Panelists:
Deborah Mannis-Gardner, DMG Clearances Inc.
Michael McFadin, Ubiquity Records
Melanie Santa Rosa, Third Side Music
Dean Serwin, Attorney – Serwin Media Group
Moderators:
Abby North (North Music Group) & David Quan (The Greater Goods Co.)