“What’s the rush?! I can always audit later, if I think I need to.” Well, no. That isn’t necessarily true. Time is of the essence. Most record labels and music publishers only allow you to go back 3 or 4 years when auditing their books. Monies owed due to mistakes on royalties older than 4 years are often lost. And it’s YOUR money down the drain…your gift to your label!

Why might there be mistakes and errors? You think, “It’s all done by computer, so how complicated could it be?!” The answer is: VERY complicated.

The following are just five examples of how errors may occur:

#1 A computer can only process data correctly when it is entered correctly. Human errors and omissions occur frequently.
#2 Royalty compilation is currently much more complex than it has been in the past due to complicated multiple uses…with titles sampled or sold digitally via downloads. Songs are also used extensively in compilations, games, ring tones and movies, not to mention international sales.

#3 Often, there are differences in interpretation of your contract between your interpretation and your label’s interpretation. Artists assume that they and their label are on the same page in this important area.

#4 Many labels have considerable job turnover in their royalty department.  This makes accurate record keeping more difficult.

#5: Royalty records may be kept at multiple sites. This makes transfer of data an issue and can further allow for errors to occur.

You need an auditor with the experience to sort out the multiple uses of your copyrighted work to be sure that errors have not been made on your account.  Start the process today. We know where to meticulously look for errors and/or omissions in your royalty statements. We are anxious to partner with you to make sure that your earnings are maximized.