Your Music's Losing Money Every Day" (Fix the Money Leak in 60 Days)

If your music’s out but the money isn’t coming in — it’s not your talent. It’s the missing paperwork. Artists are dropping songs every week with zero systems in place to collect the money those songs already earned. And most of it’s slipping through your hands without you even knowing.

So, you did everything they told you, you dropped the single, got your song on DSPs, and promoted it online, but your streams aren’t turning into income — and you’re tired of chasing numbers with nothing to show for it. I’ve been there before, so I’m not just blowing smoke. The truth is: the money you make from music is roughly 10% of your entire gross revenue at any given time, and it is hidden in the registrations. And if your music isn’t registered properly, you’re already owed money that no one’s going to chase for you.

In this video, I’m breaking down the 4 key money traps stopping your music’s revenue from reaching your pockets — and how to fix every single money leak in one week from PRO registration to Mechanical royalties, Digital performance & neighboring rights, and the one that doesn’t fit but is crucial Storytelling content that triggers revenue you so desperately need.

Let’s get your paperwork — and your payment — together first.

PRO Registration = Performance Royalties

If your song is being played anywhere — live, on radio, on TV, in clubs — and you’re not registered with a Performance Rights Organization (PRO), you’re losing money. BMI, ASCAP, SESAC — pick one. Register as a writer and a publisher. This is how you collect performance royalties when your music is used publicly. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Register today and lock the door behind your royalties. Also, here’s a trick if you don’t have approval on all splits, you can reserve splits at the PRO by listing them as NA on BMI or NS on ASCAP. And keep this train rolling!

Mechanical Royalties = Your Hidden Bag

Most artists don’t even know mechanicals exist — and that’s why publishers collect on their behalf. This is the money owed when your song is reproduced — digitally or physically. If you’re not registered with The MLC, Music Reports, and Harry Fox Agency, you’re not getting this check. It’s not automatic. You have to claim it. The MLC is for Domestic Digital Mechanicals, and Harry Fox is for Domestic physical mechanicals royalties, as well as international digital and physical mechanical royalties. Music Reports collects digital mechanical royalties for numerous individual platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. This is one more leak of funds that you need to tighten up so you can increase your revenue!

Digital Performance + Neighboring Rights = Your Global Passive Income

If you’ve ever had your music played through the Pandora platform (Pandora for the public and Pandora for Business), satellite radio, music choice, Dash radio, or internet radio? Those plays generate digital performance money, otherwise known as a digital performance of the master recording. If you own the master, you’re owed royalties from SoundExchange. And if your music is played internationally? That’s neighboring rights — which most American artists just don’t know about, but it’s actually the same thing. Sign up with SoundExchange and sign the international agreement to get the neighboring rights in addition to the digital performance royalties that’s yours.

Why getting paid with an LLC is better than getting paid individually

Most artists think allowing any of these agencies to drop money to your personal bank account is the best way to collect everything, but the truth is — it’s not even close. The real reason you’re stuck is that you don’t know that the structure of how you collect money matters as much as where you collect it.

Set up an LLC, open a business bank account, and funnel all your earnings through it. You’ll immediately notice how much easier it is to track, save, and scale your Direct-to-Fan Ecosystem. You’ll gain the financial clarity and legal protection that allows you to operate like a real business, qualify for funding, and even negotiate better deals because you’re seen as a professional, not a hobbyist.

How to funnel the money into this income machine

Now that you’ve got the business set up — your LLC, your accounts, your registrations — let’s talk about feeding the machine.

Here’s the part most artists miss: you don’t just set up the systems… you have to drive trust into them. Because fans don’t stream just because you posted a link, they stream when they trust the energy behind it. They buy when they feel like you see them. The only way this happens is if you trigger curiosity. Don’t sell music first — sell the moment around the music. Use reels, shorts, captions, and emails to hint at the world behind your song. Then you’ve got to prove you’re reliable. Consistent storytelling, quality visuals, and showing up on the same platform in the same tone builds emotional safety for your fans. Lastly, make buying feel like alignment, not effort. The more your fans feel like you reflect them or their values, the easier it is for them to stream, save, follow, or buy — no resistance.

This is how the income machine gets fed: not just with traffic… but with trust. Trust is what powers your play count, your merch sales, your sync placements, and your repeat customers. Without it, your systems starve.

Stop Making This Mistake

Most artists believe that simply uploading to a distributor and letting them collect all their money—including publishing revenue—is the way to go. However, it's actually the worst move because that 10% we talked about at the beginning gets chopped down to 7% early on, reducing the money you earn from your music. This leads to false arguments like "your music doesn't make money" when it actually does!

This mindset actually came from SongTrust telling artists they weren't capable of collecting their own publishing. And it worked because they're now making millions from artists who didn't want to do the work themselves, letting someone else get paid for no effort. This all leads you into a position where other publishers can't do deals with you because your works are tied up, and even if you can get out, there is a sunset clause.

Take it from me—I didn't put these plaques on the wall from letting someone else do the work. The thing is, if you're going to play the game, don't you think you should learn the game?

What the Future is holding.

You don't just get paid more — you get paid forever. You build a system that collects money in the background while you focus on making music. And most importantly, you stop creating from a place of lack — because you finally feel the results of your effort. If you're joining the D2C and streaming 2.0 movement, then you may want to reinforce your Direct-to-Fan ecosystem with your own publishing company to keep the money in-house. So, don't worry because I'm going to show you how to do this step by step.

Here’s what you can do!

Right now, you have a choice: You can keep leaving money on the table… or you can follow a system that's already working. The real question isn't "should you do this?"—it's "how much longer can you afford NOT to?" Click link to access my 60-day Record Label System to get step-by-step instructions on how to set all of this up yourself, keeping the money in-house and cutting out the middle man.

Before you doubt Yourself

The truth is, this system works whether you do it the long way yourself or the quick way with me, and let me say, you are competent enough to do this. Even if your money and time are low, that's not the real issue — you have an apprehensive anxiety about this because you've seen too much, heard too much, and now you're overwhelmed. I'm not here to do that. I'm a money person, and you can be one too, especially when you pair it with the 60 Day Record Label System and trust yourself to take it step by step. You don't need perfect conditions. You just need to start with what you've got — and watch how far that can take you.

What’s it going to cost to do it yourself

I know you’re going to watch quite a few YouTube videos on this topic, maybe even mine. But let’s break down the real cost of trying to figure this out solo: #1 You’ll waste weeks trying to piece together conflicting advice from creators who don’t even run a label themselves — meanwhile, your uncollected royalties are disappearing into the black box. #2 You’ll start doubting yourself. The constant confusion will make you believe you’re the problem — when really, it’s just bad information. #3 This is the big one — you’ll either stay overwhelmed and paralyzed, or finally take control and build something real. Either you stay stuck in the “artist hustle,” or you become the CEO of your music career.

At the End of the Day

This isn’t about chasing a hit. It’s about building a machine that keeps paying you — long after the music drops.

If you were struggling with: understanding why your royalties aren't showing up, relying on distributors to collect everything while cutting your profits, or feeling like your music career isn't financially sustainable, you now have the means to become the profitable, independent artist or label owner you've always wanted to be. The kind who collects checks in the background while focusing on creating impact. Someone who knows where the money is, knows how to get it, and knows how to keep it flowing.