The Artists Who Get Screwed Usually Don’t Care Enough
March 7, 2026
One thing I’ve come to understand about the music industry is why people end up screwing each other over.
It usually doesn’t start with evil intentions.
It starts with unequal obsession.
Sometimes one person is working at a level that’s way beyond the average artist. They’re studying the business, staying up late learning publishing, making sure the metadata is right, promoting the records, handling the splits, registering the songs, chasing every opportunity.
Meanwhile the artist themselves might be on some:
“Yeah whatever bro… do what you want.”
That’s where the problem begins.
Because the person doing all the work starts looking around like:
Hold on… I’m the only one who actually cares about this.
Now resentment creeps in.
Not always consciously, but it’s there.
They start feeling like they deserve more because they’re carrying the entire operation. And in some cases, they start structuring things so that they get more.
That’s how a lot of artists end up getting screwed.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth most people don’t want to say:
A lot of artists get screwed because they don’t care enough not to get screwed.
I’ve worked with people like this plenty of times.
People who don’t want to learn their publishing.
People who don’t want to understand their splits.
People who don’t even check if they’re properly credited.
They’ll say:
“Man you got it. Do whatever.”
No.
You need to know your business.
You need to know how the song is registered.
You need to know your percentage.
You need to know where the money comes from.
Because what if the person you’re working with isn’t Harry?
What if they’re on some Puff-level executive energy?
Music is almost a don’t ask, don’t tell industry.
If you don’t ask questions…
If you don’t demand transparency…
If you don’t care about the details…
Then business will always be structured in the most advantageous way for the person running it.
And that might not be you.
What’s crazy is sometimes I find myself paying people royalties when they haven’t even set up the systems to receive them properly.
I’ll be thinking:
You should have this set up so the money comes to you automatically.
But they never took the time to learn.
That’s dangerous.
Because the beginning of a career is usually small. A few hundred streams. A couple thousand plays. Nothing life changing.
So people get lazy.
But what happens if the song becomes a smash tomorrow?
Now everybody’s scrambling trying to figure out ownership, percentages, registrations, credits.
And by then it might already be too late.
So if you’re an artist, producer, or writer reading this, remember something simple.
Caring about your art is not enough.
You also have to care about the business.
Learn your splits.
Learn publishing.
Learn how songs get registered.
Learn where the money flows.
Because the industry isn’t built to chase you down and make sure you’re protected.
It’s built to move forward.
And if you’re not paying attention, it will move forward without you.
The truth is, most artists don’t get taken advantage of because someone is a mastermind villain.
They get taken advantage of because they were too passive to protect themselves.
Don’t be the artist who wakes up years later realizing the songs, the money, and the leverage all went somewhere else.
Care enough to know what’s going on.
Care enough to ask questions.
Care enough to protect your work.
Because the moment the record becomes a hit, everybody suddenly cares.
By then it might already be too late.
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