I built the Artist Leverage Audit to find out exactly where independent artists are losing money. 4 artists took it. The results confirmed everything I’ve been saying. Here’s the data: COPYRIGHT & OWNERSHIP: Only 25% registered their songs with the U.S. Copyright Office. 75% have split sheets signed but still don’t have full legal protection on their work. ROYALTIES & MONEY: 100% of artists audited do not track mechanical royalties. 100% do not report live performances for royalty collection. Only 25% collect international royalties. Only 25% track ISRC codes. Zero track ISWC codes. That’s not bad luck. That’s missing money sitting uncollected right now. MARKETING & RELEASES: None of the artists had more than 15 pieces of content prepared for a release. None had a post-release monetization strategy. Zero had a documented workflow another person could execute. THE ONE BRIGHT SPOT: 100% said they are building long-term brand equity. The awareness is there. The infrastructure isn’t. This is the gap BME exists to close. You can have the talent. You can have the drive. You can have the vision. But if you don’t have the business infrastructure behind it — you’re leaving real money on the table every single day. The average artist in this audit was missing at least 6 out of 8 revenue streams they’re legally owed. That’s not a talent problem. That’s a structure problem. Want to know where you stand? Take the free Artist Leverage Audit in the link below and I’ll personally review your score. Link in bio or DM me AUDIT and I’ll send it directly. Your music is an asset. Start treating it like one. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeWWQOdnVhxUMxKzJYH7Ss0PZitKZ062SPGt5Xs4VFFjKNDA/viewform

Live Nation just reported $25.2 billion in revenue for 2025. Let that number sit for a second. They didn’t get there by accident. They got there by owning leverage at every level of the music industry. They own the venues. They own the ticketing through Ticketmaster. They own the promotions. They own the touring infrastructure. They own the relationships with the artists. You can’t play the game without going through them at some point. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a system built around leverage. Here’s what independent artists need to understand from this: Leverage is the only thing that matters in this industry. The label has leverage because they control distribution. The publisher has leverage because they control the composition. Live Nation has leverage because they control where you perform. The question isn’t whether leverage exists. The question is — who has it? Right now most independent artists have zero leverage. No masters ownership. No publishing registered. No contracts reviewed. No revenue streams beyond streaming. That’s not a talent problem. That’s a structure problem. Every tool in this community exists to give you leverage back. Split sheets give you leverage in collaborations. PRO registration gives you leverage over your publishing. Contract knowledge gives you leverage at the negotiating table. Multiple revenue streams give you leverage when one platform changes the rules. Live Nation built $25.2 billion worth of leverage. You don’t need billions. You just need enough leverage to own your career. What area of your music business do you feel you have the least leverage right now?

If you collect mechanical royalties — pay attention to this. Spotify recently won a legal challenge against The MLC — the Mechanical Licensing Collective — over how streaming royalties are calculated and distributed. Here’s what happened in plain language: Spotify argued that certain types of streams should be classified differently — which would lower the mechanical royalty rate they’re required to pay out to songwriters and publishers. The court sided with Spotify. What that means for you as an independent artist: The mechanical royalty rate on certain streams just got reduced. If you’re registered with The MLC — which you should be — your per-stream payout on those specific stream types will be lower going forward. This is exactly why I say streaming royalties alone can never be your strategy. One court case. One platform decision. One policy change. And your income takes a hit overnight — with zero notice and zero say in the matter. The artists who are protected are the ones running all 8 revenue streams simultaneously. When one stream gets cut — the other 7 keep the lights on. If you’re not registered with The MLC yet — go to themlc.com right now. Even with reduced rates it’s still money you’re owed. And if you want to understand how to build a revenue stack that doesn’t collapse when one platform changes the rules — everything is inside the free classroom. Question for the room — how many of you are currently registered with The MLC?

Outside of everything we’re building here I’m hosting something special this September. 6 days in Bali — culture, creativity, and connection. September 9-14. 12 spots total. $1,166 per person. This is for artists and creators who are ready to reset, get inspired, and connect with like-minded people in one of the most beautiful places on earth. If you’ve been thinking about a trip that actually means something — this is it. Link in my bio or DM me directly.

In 2024 Spotify changed their royalty model. Songs with under 1,000 streams per year no longer generate royalties at all. That threshold used to be zero. Now it’s 1,000. What that means for independent artists: If you have catalog songs sitting under 1,000 annual streams — that music is generating zero dollars on Spotify right now. The money that would have gone to you is being pooled and redistributed to bigger artists. This is exactly why streaming royalties alone can never be your strategy. The artists who win are the ones running multiple streams simultaneously — performance royalties, mechanical royalties, sync licensing, neighboring rights — so when one platform changes the rules it doesn’t collapse your income. That’s what we build inside this community. Question for the room — how many of your songs are under 1,000 streams on Spotify right now? Drop your number below. Let’s talk about what to do about it.