Licensing Opportunities...do they REALLY exist for young bands?

My band is now an ASCAP member and before that we used Merlin for licensing. I had recently stumbled upon youlicence when I started wondering how good these services really are. Although ASCAP has a registration fee, Merlin was free. The cost itself isn't really a big deal, but what do these companies really do for a young band other than be a name that they can have in common with larger, more well known acts?

I'd love YOUR input!