Kingston, 2001. I had four songs and I had borrowed the money from my family to pay for the session. I was the first person to take that band into a studio. I wrote the lyrics. I started a label the same year to put the record out.
Three albums, two EPs, a mixtape and a long run of singles later — all of it independent, none of it with a label — I was still guessing about the money.
I knew my songs were earning something, somewhere. I could not have told you who was holding it, what it was called, or what I was supposed to do to make it arrive.
Here is the part that took me far too long to understand: nobody is hiding it from you. It is written on the collecting societies’ own help pages, in public, for free. It is just written in a language nobody translates, and there is no moment in an independent career where anyone is required to sit you down and explain it.
So you find out late, or you find out never.
I found out late. This book is the translation.
Thirteen chapters. A glossary of every term in the book. Three appendices — including the checklists, built to be photographed and reused on every release you ever put out.
Every chapter ends in one action. One, not a list. They take between four minutes and an afternoon.
It will not make you rich, and it does not promise you anything.
It will not get you streams, followers, income, placements or a career. It is not legal advice and it is not tax advice — I am an artist, not a lawyer and not an accountant.
It explains what you own and how the money is supposed to reach you. What you do with that is your work.
Every fact in it was verified in August 2026, and Appendix B lists every dated figure alongside the source to check it against — because I would rather you verified me than trusted me.
Chapter one is the idea the whole book rests on. If it doesn’t change how you think about your own catalogue, don’t buy the rest.
You get the introduction, the full first chapter and the contents — seventeen pages, no email required.
The introduction and the whole of chapter one, free. Seventeen pages, including the contents. Chapter one is the idea the rest of the book rests on: a song is not one thing, it is two separate properties with two owners and two money trails.
The artist working a job that pays the bills while the music waits. The one who has released music and cannot tell you whether it is earning. The one who suspects money is missing and doesn’t know where to start looking, or who to ask without feeling stupid for not already knowing.
You are not behind. Nobody told you. That is a different problem, and it has a solution.
It is probably not for you if you already have a publisher, a manager and a royalty accountant, or if you want a shortcut instead of an explanation.
€19 · PDF, delivered instantly.
If it isn’t useful to you, email me at info@sevadmusichouse.com and I’ll refund it. No form to fill in.
What independent artists own, why the royalties don't arrive, and what to do about it. 134 pages, thirteen chapters, a glossary and three appendices. Instant download, yours permanently. Written by a working artist who spent twenty-five years not knowing this.
How do I get it?
A download link arrives by email straight after payment. If it hasn’t shown up in ten minutes, check your spam folder, then email me and I’ll send it directly.
What format is it?
PDF. It opens on anything — phone, tablet, laptop — and you can print it.
Can I print it?
Yes. Appendix C is built to be printed and reused on every release.
Is this legal advice?
No. I’m an artist, not a lawyer. It explains how the system works so you can ask better questions and know when you need a professional. Chapter twelve is entirely about how to hire one well.
I’m not in Europe. Can I still buy it?
Yes. Anywhere.
What if it’s not for me?
Email me at info@sevadmusichouse.com and I’ll refund it.
