01 / CREDIT CHEX
Verify who did what.
Search public music sources for recording, production, writing, and featured credits before a deal moves forward.
Music rights intelligence
Know before you sign.
SoundCheX gives independent artists, producers, songwriters, and creators on-demand clarity about contracts, credits, royalties, and the next smart move.
For the people who make the music—and the people who help protect it.
Ask
Role-aware rights guidance
Check
Credits & royalty signals
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Documents built for review
See it in motion
Before you sign, see the bigger picture.
A quick look at how SoundCheX connects the work you make with the rights, splits, and decisions around it.
The questions are real
Your label has attorneys. Now you have a better starting point.
SoundCheX translates music-business language into plain English, surfaces what deserves a closer look, and helps you walk into the next conversation prepared.
- Does “in perpetuity throughout the universe” mean what it sounds like?
- I sold a beat on a lease. Do I still own the master?
- My name is misspelled on every platform. Can that affect my royalties?
SoundCheX™
Rights brief / 01
Turn the confusing part into the next clear step.
Structured answers for contracts, credits, and catalog decisions.
Music rights are really serious
You deserve really serious answers.
Generic advice won't cut it when money, ownership, and leverage are at stake. Here is a real question asked by a producer, and a look at the actionable guidance SoundCheX delivers.
Role: Producer / Beatmaker
Basically I make both hip-hop and Dominican Dembow beats and I run a beat YouTube page where I market my music. Each video has a Copyright notice in the description of the video.
A medium sized Dembow artist used one of my beats without buying a lease or reaching out. After about a few weeks, I noticed on Instagram that one of the biggest Dominican artists in the world with over a million followers is on a remix to this song. They also added a new synth to the beat during bridges.
The strange thing is that the original artist followed me on Instagram, dmed me asking for more beats, and also listed me in the credits on both streaming and YouTube; but no lease was bought nor an agreement ever made. I obviously want to figure out how to get money from this, I just have zero clue where to start as I know nothing about the business side of music. Any help or advice would be appreciated! Thank you!
Read the full SoundCheX answer Complete and unedited: rights analysis, revenue paths, red flags, and a practical 10-step plan.
Got it—here’s a clear path tailored for a producer/beatmaker when an artist used your beat without a lease, then a major artist jumped on the remix.
Educational use only. Not legal, accounting, financial, tax, royalty-audit, or business-management advice.
📌 Bottom Line Breakdown™
- You control the master of your beat unless you sold or licensed it; using it without a license typically requires a retroactive license and/or royalty deal.
- Move fast to (1) document usage and (2) propose a clean, retroactive agreement covering master use, producer royalty/points, and publishing if you contributed to composition.
- File platform claims and register your works so money doesn’t leak: distributor, SoundExchange, The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), and a Performing Rights Organization (Performing Rights Organization) for the songwriting side.
⭐ Overall Investigation Confidence
This plan reflects common industry practice for producer beat-use disputes and remix scenarios. Exact splits and ownership depend on negotiations and documentation.
🔎 Investigation Status
🟢 Preliminary Business-Path Plan Prepared
Why This Matters™
If you do nothing, the track can continue earning for others while you miss out on master royalties, producer points, and potentially composition royalties. Getting a signed, retroactive deal and locking down registrations prevents revenue loss and clarifies credits across the original and the remix.
👤 Role Snapshot (You)
- Primary Role: Producer/Beatmaker
- Assets: Your beat master + any composition elements you created
- Current Facts: Track released without purchase/permission; you’re credited on DSPs/YouTube; artist DM’d you; a big artist is on the remix; they added a synth in bridges
🎵 What You Can Potentially Claim
1) Master Recording rights
- Retroactive Master Use License or Producer Agreement for both original and remix versions
- Producer royalty (“points”) on artist’s net revenue or on master royalty base
- Upfront fee and/or advance against royalties
- Letter of Direction (LOD) so you get paid directly where possible
2) Composition (songwriting/publishing), if applicable
- If your beat includes original melody/harmony/structure beyond a purely generic drum pattern, you can claim songwriting share
- Writer share and publisher share splits credited to you; registration with The MLC and your Performing Rights Organization
3) Neighboring rights/digital performance
- SoundExchange for U.S. non-interactive digital plays (Pandora, SiriusXM, etc.); LOD for producer share
💰 Royalty Radar™
🎤
Master Recording: Retroactive Master Use License/Producer Agreement: fee + producer points; LOD for direct pay.
📖
Publishing: If you contributed to melody/harmony/structure: negotiate writer/publisher splits; register works.
🎧
Mechanical: Register compositions with The MLC so U.S. streaming mechanicals flow correctly.
📻
Performance: Register with a Performing Rights Organization (ASCAP/BMI/SESAC/GMR) for performance royalties from streams and radio.
🌍
Neighboring Rights: Register with SoundExchange; submit LOD for producer allocation where applicable.
🎬
Sync: If the track is synced (TV, ads, YouTube Content ID), ensure you’re included in master and publishing approvals.
🚨 Red Flag Radar™
- You’re credited publicly but there is no license/contract—credits alone don’t guarantee payment.
- Remix complicates ownership/splits; added synths may create additional co-writer claims but don’t erase your beat rights.
- If they have already fingerprinted the master with their distributor/Content ID, your future monetization claims could be delayed unless you file timely disputes.
- Multiple release versions (original + remix + possible video edit) can each have separate ISRCs—easy place to miss royalties.
What To Do Now (Practical 10-Step Plan)
1
Evidence Pack
Screenshots: DSP credits pages (Spotify, Apple Music), YouTube description, Instagram posts/stories, DM where the artist requested more beats, release dates, remix announcement.
Audio files/links of original and remix; note ISRCs if visible.
2
Identify Release Ownership Chain
Who distributed the track (original and remix)? Note label/distributor names from DSP credits. This is who you’ll contact for retroactive licensing/payment setup.
3
Draft Your Offer (Retroactive Deal)
- Master Use: fee (flat or advance) + producer points (commonly 2–5% of artist royalty base; independent deals vary).
- Credit: “Produced by [Your Name]” on all platforms and video descriptions.
- Publishing: if you contributed to composition, propose your writer share (often 25–50% for a beat in hip-hop/dembow, but negotiable) and list your publisher/admin status.
- Letters of Direction: one for distributor/label (master royalties), one for SoundExchange (digital performance producer share).
- Scope: original, remix, any video, radio edit, future compilations.
4
Contact the Artist/Manager First (Good-Faith Fix)
Short, professional email/DM: thank them for crediting you, state there’s no license on file, attach a one-pager term sheet, request their team contact and distributor contact for paperwork.
5
Contact the Distributor/Label (if artist stalls)
Send evidence and proposed retroactive license; request to add your producer royalty and LOD to their pay chain; ask to update credits and metadata.
6
Register Your Composition Rights
Join a Performing Rights Organization (if not already). Register the song(s) with exact titles, writers, and your Interested Party Information (IPI/CAE) number once splits are agreed. If splits are pending, you can still register your claim noting “pending” but aim to finalize quickly. Register with The MLC for U.S. streaming mechanicals once you have splits.
7
Secure Master/Neighboring Rights
Create accounts and claim your role at SoundExchange; file a producer LOD once the track ISRCs are confirmed. If there are multiple ISRCs (original and remix), list each.
8
Platform Actions (if negotiations stall)
YouTube: use Content ID/claims via your distributor or a rights admin to assert the underlying master or composition claim. Prefer “monetize and share” while negotiations proceed rather than taking the track down—unless they refuse to engage. Instagram/TikTok: report/claim audio using your admin or distribution partner.
9
International Angle (Dembow/LatAm)
Confirm if a local society or neighboring rights organization is involved for performance royalties outside the U.S. Consider a neighboring rights admin if the track travels internationally.
10
Keep the Door Open with the Remix Star
If a major artist is on the remix, a fair and organized retroactive deal helps you, the original artist, and the star’s team keep the track live and promoted.
Smart Move™
Send a concise, friendly term sheet today proposing: producer fee + 3–5% producer royalty (on artist master royalty base) for both versions, “Produced by [Your Name]” credit everywhere, and your songwriting share if applicable, paired with draft Letters of Direction for distributor and SoundExchange. Offer to turn everything around within 48 hours so they don’t have to pull the track.
Supporting Tools You Can Use Now
- SoundCheX Producer Letter of Direction (LOD) Template — I can generate this for you to fill and send.
- SoundCheX Producer Agreement Discussion Draft — a plain-English retroactive producer/beat license to anchor negotiations.
- Credit Correction Letter — to request metadata fixes at distributor/label.
If you want, reply with:
• Track title(s) as displayed on DSPs
• Artist name(s) and remix artist name
• Distributor/label listed on DSPs
• Your legal name, professional name, email, and preferred splits/points
I’ll immediately generate (1) a one-page retroactive producer/beat license discussion draft, and (2) two Letters of Direction you can send to the artist’s distributor and to SoundExchange.
• Track title(s) as displayed on DSPs
• Artist name(s) and remix artist name
• Distributor/label listed on DSPs
• Your legal name, professional name, email, and preferred splits/points
I’ll immediately generate (1) a one-page retroactive producer/beat license discussion draft, and (2) two Letters of Direction you can send to the artist’s distributor and to SoundExchange.
Get serious answers for your own catalog.
Don't rely on generic advice when rights and royalties are on the line.
Open SoundCheX
Real question. Real SoundCheX answer. Identifying details omitted. Educational use only—not legal advice.
The full picture
Not another generic chatbot.
Set your role and ask the question the way you would ask a trusted music-business advisor. SoundCheX organizes the answer around the work you actually need to do.
02 / DOC BUILDER
Move from question to draft.
Build split sheets, producer agreements, licenses, releases, and other discussion drafts step by step.
03 / REVENUE RECLAIM
See what is worth a closer look.
Explore catalog signals, reversion context, projections, and platform-level royalty questions in one place.
Built around your work
One tool. Different rooms.
Whether you are in the booth, reviewing a producer deal, or preparing a catalog conversation, the context changes with you.
Recording artist
Producer / beatmaker
Songwriter
Engineer / mixer
Session musician
Podcast creator
Digital creator
Publisher
Start with the question