What does HFA do?

HFA is the leading provider of rights management, licensing, and royalty services for the U.S. music industry and was established in 1927 by the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) as an agency to license, collect, and distribute royalties on behalf of musical copyright owners. 

HFA issues mechanical licenses for products manufactured and distributed in the U.S. A mechanical license grants the rights to reproduce and distribute copyrighted musical compositions (songs) for use on CDs, records, tapes, ringtones, permanent digital downloads, interactive streams and other digital formats supporting various business models, including locker-based music services and bundled music offerings. 

Publishers that affiliate with HFA have access to a range of licensing, collection, distribution, and royalty compliance services, as well as to various online tools, to assist with catalog administration. 

In addition, HFA provides affiliated publishers with the opportunity to participate in other types of licensing arrangements including lyrics, guitar tablatures, background music services and more. These opportunities are circulated to publishers for participation on an opt-in basis.