Why most artists are missing multiple music royalty sources... and don't even know it.

Right now, there are two types of artists trying to earn money with their music.

Those who are fully collecting from the global usage of their music...

... and those who mistakenly think their distributor has got them covered.

The ones who figured it out know that music distributors don't pay artists every type of royalty.

Most musicians don't know music royalty law. 

That's why they think they're getting paid everything they're owed when the truth is actually far worse.

Thankfully for you, you've found this page. And I've helped thousands of musicians understand how music royalties work so they can collect everything they are owed.

They are getting the whole pie, not just a slice.

Now you're probably wondering who I am.

Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Ryan Waczek, and I run the Indie Music Academy. For the past several years, I've been obsessively studying how the music industry works — specifically for independent artists who don't have a major label, a team of publicists, or a manager making calls on their behalf.

And music royalties are one of the hardest and most misunderstood topics in the entire industry.

Because as you hopefully know...

When your music is used, streamed, performed, or even covered by another artist...

Music royalties are generated and owed to you, the writer and/or performer. 

Getting some of your royalties is easy. 

Here's the thing though:

 ➡ Streaming platforms don't pay ALL royalties to your distributor; they go to a bunch of different places.

 ➡ So... you can attempt the monumental task of tracking down the usage of your music yourself, but how will you collect in other countries with different foreign music usage laws?

Labels have entire teams that work full-time jobs just to collect every royalty and account for every penny.

But what about independent artists like us?

How do we collect the same way that major labels do?

Thankfully, this roadmap helps you connect the major royalty pathways that apply to you.

Without having to hire a team.

Without needing an accountant, publishing deal, or an artist manager.

You'll do this yourself in just a couple of evenings, and then you'll finally be covered whether you are just now getting your first streams, or even if you are getting major sync placements worth thousands in royalties!

I hand over this knowledge inside The Ultimate Guide to Collecting Music Royalties.

It's a 66-page book that teaches you everything you need to know about how music royalties work, how it all flows to you, and most importantly, how to collect.

And it's crazy that I have to even say this... but I didn't just spit out some AI-generated garbage (like you might get from other blogs and resources).

I started researching and writing this guide in 2018 (before ChatGPT even existed), and since then, it's been enjoyed and referenced by thousands of professional musicians, including on stage at TEDx!

What's Inside The Ultimate Guide to Music Royalties

✅ The “Two Copyrights” Royalty Map: Discover the difference between your Sound Recording copyright and your Songwriting copyright—and how each one generates completely different payments (because owning your music doesn’t automatically mean you’re collecting everything it earns).

✅ 8 Types of Music Royalties—Explained in Plain English: Streaming, mechanical, songwriting performance, artist performer, digital performance, neighboring rights, sync and print royalties (so you can finally see every way your music may be generating money outside your distributor dashboard).

✅ The 4-Part Royalty Collection Setup: The exact four registrations I recommend for independent musicians: your distributor, Performing Rights Organization, mechanical collection society and neighboring-rights society—featuring organizations like BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, SongTrust, PPL and SoundExchange (so you know exactly where to register and what each organization actually collects).

✅ “Follow the Money” Royalty Breakdowns: See how money flows differently for independent musicians, indie-label artists and major-label artists—and exactly where distributors, publishers, administrators and labels take their cuts before the remaining money reaches you.

✅ Royalty Calculators & Real-World Examples: Break down Spotify royalties, mechanical royalties, physical sales and producer points with actual formulas and worked examples (so you can understand what your music is really earning—not rely on vague per-stream estimates).

✅ The Fair-Pay Percentage Guide: Learn how songwriter and publishing shares, SoundExchange royalties, producer points, record-label royalties, manager commissions and booking-agent fees are commonly divided (so you know what’s normal—and what to question before signing anything).

✅ Critical Registration Warnings Most Artists Never Hear About: Avoid duplicate mechanical registrations, understand the difference between PRS/MCPS and PPL, choose the correct performer and rightsholder options, and prevent common mistakes that can leave your royalties unclaimed.

✅ The Final “Your Four Actions” Checklist: Finish the guide with a simple, step-by-step collection plan you can follow immediately—so you can stop researching, complete your registrations and open every major pathway for your royalties to reach you.

THIS IS THE $9 DEAL THAT COULD CHANGE HOW YOU COLLECT MUSIC ROYALTIES FOR YEARS TO COME!

I see you're a scroller ;)

It's okay, me too! I usually make it to the bottom of these pages to make sure I fully understand everything that is offered.

So you're just like me. You want to make sure that this isn't just going to waste your money OR your time.

So here's everything you get when you grab The Ultimate Guide to Collecting Music Royalties:

✅ The complete 66-page visual guide

✅ The Independent Artist Work-for-Hire Agreement

✅ The 4-Step Royalty Registration Roadmap 

✅ The “Which Royalties Am I Owed?” Role Finder

✅ The Music Industry Fair-Split Cheat Sheet

✅ The Music Royalty Money-Flow Blueprint Pack

✅ The Royalty Calculator Toolkit

✅ Immediate digital access

You’re getting the complete guide and all six action tools for the absurdly low one-time price of just $9.

Get instant access now while the complete guide and all six action tools are still available.

Your music is already out there...

Make sure every royalty has a way back to you!

You’ve already done the hard part: writing the songs, creating the recordings, and releasing your music into the world.

But uploading your music through a distributor is only one part of the royalty system.

If you don’t understand the rights you own, the roles you occupy, the organizations responsible for collecting each type of royalty, and the registrations that connect everything together, you may never know what you’re missing.

The Ultimate Guide to Collecting Music Royalties gives you one clear, visual roadmap through the entire system—so you can stop piecing together conflicting advice and start making informed decisions about your music.

In a single sitting, you can:

• Understand which royalties may apply to you

• Identify possible gaps in your current collection setup

• See which organizations handle each income stream

• Understand how ownership, splits, and agreements affect your money

• Know exactly what to investigate or complete next

Your music may continue earning royalties for years to come. Isn’t it worth spending $9 to make sure you understand where that money is supposed to go?

One-time payment • Immediate digital access • 30-day money-back guarantee

Read the guide and use the included tools. If you don’t feel significantly clearer about your rights, royalties, and next registration steps, email us within 30 days and we’ll refund your purchase.

You created the music. Now give every royalty it legitimately earns a clear path back to you.

I hope this gives you the clarity I wish I’d had when I released my first music.

All the best with your music career,

Ryan Waczek
Founder, Indie Music Academy

P.S. One warning before you buy:

A lot of artists buy something like this, read the first chapter, feel relieved that they finally understand something, and then close the tab and forget about it.

Don't do that.

The guide is designed to be used—the checklists are meant to be checked, the Role Finder is meant to be applied to your actual releases, and the Registration Roadmap is meant to be followed.

Understanding this stuff is worth something. Doing something about it is worth significantly more.

And that's what I'm really trying to sell you on here. The $9 is just a formality. The real benefit is allowing me to help you do something you know you need to do.

I've made all the mistakes and done all the research so you don't have to start from zero. The rest is up to you.