Methodology
How we keep this accurate
Last reviewed: 4 June 2026
Learn the Music Industry is built for people who have to trust the numbers: accountants new to music clients, managers, lawyers, analysts, and the artists they work with. Every money lesson is grounded in the named bodies that govern the topic, not anonymous claims or unverifiable assertions.
Every money lesson is grounded in a named authority
Each lesson cites the actual governing bodies a professional would themselves consult: the organisations that collect, distribute, and regulate the topic, not anonymous claims. Depending on the lesson, that means:
- Royalties & collection: the relevant collecting societies and performance rights organisations for the jurisdiction.
- Rights & copyright: the governing intellectual property framework and the bodies that administer it.
- Publishing & songwriting: the mechanical and performance rights societies and industry guidebooks.
- Deals, advances & defensive literacy:managers' forums, musicians' unions and published industry guides.
- Touring & live:musicians' unions, performance rights organisations, and government guidance on touring visas and carnets.
- Sync & licensing: performance rights organisations and production music associations.
- Tax & business structure:the relevant tax authority and musicians' unions.
- Catalogue & investment:public market data and tax authority guidance on capital gains. We do not invent a single “authority” for valuation multiples, which are a function of the market.
These sources are derived from the lesson's place in our knowledge graph, so they cannot drift out of sync with the content. They appear in the Facts & sourcespanel of every episode, under “Authoritative sources”.
Verified vs Illustrative: we never blur the line
Money in music is variable, so we are explicit about what a number is. Every figure in a lesson lives in a structured facts table and carries one of two labels:
- Verified: a specific public figure tied to a named source and a date. A human checks these before the label is applied.
- Illustrative: a teaching example that demonstrates the mechanics (a representative split, a worked advance). Useful for understanding, not for pricing your own deal.
We would rather mark a number Illustrative than overstate its precision. Where reality is a range, we say so.
Education, not advice
Everything on Learn the Music Industry is for educational purposes only. Nothing here is legal, financial, tax, or accounting advice, and nothing should be relied upon as such.
We teach how the systems work, not what you personally should do with your money, contracts or catalogue. For a decision specific to your situation, consult the relevant body or a qualified professional.
Spotted something out of date? Accuracy beats coverage every time. Tell us and we will fix it.