Aggressive Ambition: Dae Bogan’s Journey to The MLC — Gig Gab 491

You think you understand music royalties? Think again. Dae Bogan from The MLC breaks it all down with Dave Hamilton on this week’s Gig Gab. From the ancient days of piano rolls to the tangled web of modern streaming, you’ll learn how mechanical royalties differ from performance rights and why most artists are leaving money on the table. The MLC—born from the Music Modernization Act of 2018—isn’t just another acronym; it’s the missing piece of the puzzle, and Dae’s been there since before the beginning, shaping the system from the inside out.

But this episode goes beyond the mechanics. Dae shares his raw, unfiltered story, from homelessness at 18 to building multiple startups and becoming a sought-after voice in music licensing. He didn’t just climb the ladder: he built it, all while staying true to his mission. You’ll hear how empathy, grit, and yes, aggressive ambition became his tools for success. Tune in, learn how not to make the mistake nearly every artist makes, and remember: Always Be Performing.

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 491 – Monday, July 21st, 2025
  • July 21st: National Junk Food Day
  • Guest co-host: Dae Bogan from The MLC
• 00:02:13 What are mechanical royalties, and why do they matter?
  • ASCAP, BMI, SESAC are Performing Rights Organizations
  • “Mechanical” comes from the days of piano rolls
  • Mechanical royalties are for the music, the melody, the lyrics.
  • Copyright law for mechanical royalties began in 1906
  • This was fine in the non-digital age, because everything was controlled
• 00:10:24 Enter the digital era… where gaps widened because there was no mechanical licensing organization looking at everything wholistically
  • The MLC fills that gap, born out of the passing of the Music Modernization Act in 2018
• 00:14:23 Building the infrastructure, to launch in 2021
  • The MLC was named in the MMA (in lowercase!), but it did not define WHO would be this organization
  • In 2019 (about a year after the MMA was passed) The MLC was designated/chosen as the organization that would be the mechanical licensing collective
  • 00:22:16 Dae’s multiple hats (including being a singer) led him to The MLC
  • In his 20s, Dae pivoted to representing artists
  • Side Hustle in college as Renaissance Artist Management (RAM)
  • Moonlit as manager of Loft 24 Records (and Loft 24 Publishing).
• 00:27:35 December 4, 2003. Dae was 18, Broke, Homeless, a duffel bag full of clothes, and a mission.
  • “Aggressively ambitious” leaves no opportunity to give up.
  • Perseverance and aggressive ambition allowed Dae to build the ladder AND climb
• 00:30:44 Another startup: Maven Promo, cloud-based, in store music network that played music videos in retail stores, targeted at teenagers
  • The combination of Maven & Loft 24 allowed Dae to see the gap in mechanical licensing
• 00:34:06 Where is the gap? Time to research by getting a third degree: MBA
  • Music Initiative Administration MBA degree at CSUN
  • Learning about “The Black Box” of unpaid royalties
  • First built RoyaltyClaim… then the US government came to Dae!
  • In the interim built TuneRegistry
• 00:38:58 Overnight success takes 20-25 years
  • No matter how sketchy things are, never burn a bridge
• 00:43:29 Building a business with true ability to have empathy for your customers is a great path to success
• 00:46:48 On being a copyright purist *and* a technologist
• 00:49:39 What being “Head of Third Party Partnerships” at The MLC
• 00:55:23 The one mistake that (almost) every artist makes
  • Take control of your publishing now (for many reasons, including getting paid NOW)
• 01:01:32 Gig Gab 491 Outtro
• Follow Dae Bogan and The MLC
• Contact Gig Gab!
  • @GigGabPodcast on Instagram
  • [email protected]
  • Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List

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