#22: When Music Stopped Being The Product
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In this episode of Sold 4 a Song, Terrance Sawchuk answers the question why do musicians, singers, actors, directors, producers, screenwriters, even stagehands,have unions… but songwriters don’t?
In this episode of Sold for a Song, Terry Sawchuk breaks down a truth that shocks many creators: songwriters are legally prohibited from forming a union in the United States. Not discouraged. Not frowned upon. Illegal.
Drawing on 30+ years in the music industry, including real-world examples from his own Billboard #1 career, Terry explains:
• How U.S. labor and antitrust law classify songwriters
• Why owning a song and controlling it are two very different things
• How compulsory licenses strip songwriters of the right to say no
• Why publishers, PROs, and Congress—not creators—set the rules
• Where live performance royalties break down (and often disappear)
• And why the future of creator power depends on direct ownership, private portals, and cutting out intermediaries
This episode is about clarity, leverage, and practical survival in a system that was never designed to favor the inventor.
Key Topics Covered
• Why songwriter unions are illegal under U.S. antitrust law
• The difference between copyright ownership and price control
• What a song actually is (before publishers enter the picture)
• Advances vs. income, and why publishing deals behave like credit cards
• How administrative fees quietly eat up royalties worldwide
• The real story behind compulsory licenses
• A firsthand case study: pulling unauthorized uses of a #1 hit
• Why live concert royalties are one of the least transparent systems in music
• How Congress, the Copyright Royalty Board, and PROs shape songwriter income
• Elon Musk, platform leverage, and the future battle over music pricing
• Why artist-owned “home bases” are the most powerful path forward
• How education changes your leverage with labels and publishers
Key Takeaways
• Songwriters are independent rights holders, not employees, which blocks collective bargaining
• Once a song is released, key rights are permanently restricted
• Publishers and PROs do not equal songwriter representation
• Transparency failures aren’t accidental, they’re structural
• Ownership without control is not freedom
• The future belongs to creators who own, leverage, streamline, and sustain from their own platforms
Memorable Quotes
“Owning your song and controlling your song are two very different things.”
“The inventor is the only one in the system who isn’t allowed to set the price.”
“If you don’t like the cost of music, don’t use music. Don’t over-leverage it.”
“Spotify and TikTok should be billboards, not the destination.”
Action Steps for Songwriters & Artists
• Understand your rights before releasing music
• Stop confusing advances with income
• Audit where your royalties are actually coming from
• Build a private, artist-owned home base
• Use platforms as traffic, not dependency
• Educate yourself before signing your next deal
Resources & Next Steps
• Join the Sold for a Song community:
TerranceSawchuk.com
• Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help this message reach more creators
• Share this episode with a songwriter who still believes “someone else is watching out for them”
About the Host
Terrance “Terry” Sawchuk is a Billboard #1, multi-platinum songwriter, producer, and industry veteran with over three decades in the trenches. Sold for a Song exists to challenge the systems that undervalue creators—and to offer real pathways back to ownership, leverage, and sustainability.
Sold 4 a Song™ Podcast
Hosted by Terrance Sawchuk, Billboard #1 multi-platinum songwriter, producer, artist, mixer, and entrepreneur.
Sold 4 a Song™ is a living exploration of creative worth, ownership, and the true value of music—inside the systems that monetize it.
If this episode resonates, you can follow the work at sold4asong.com.
In this episode of Sold for a Song, Terry Sawchuk breaks down a truth that shocks many creators: songwriters are legally prohibited from forming a union in the United States. Not discouraged. Not frowned upon. Illegal.
Drawing on 30+ years in the music industry, including real-world examples from his own Billboard #1 career, Terry explains:
• How U.S. labor and antitrust law classify songwriters
• Why owning a song and controlling it are two very different things
• How compulsory licenses strip songwriters of the right to say no
• Why publishers, PROs, and Congress—not creators—set the rules
• Where live performance royalties break down (and often disappear)
• And why the future of creator power depends on direct ownership, private portals, and cutting out intermediaries
This episode is about clarity, leverage, and practical survival in a system that was never designed to favor the inventor.
Key Topics Covered
• Why songwriter unions are illegal under U.S. antitrust law
• The difference between copyright ownership and price control
• What a song actually is (before publishers enter the picture)
• Advances vs. income, and why publishing deals behave like credit cards
• How administrative fees quietly eat up royalties worldwide
• The real story behind compulsory licenses
• A firsthand case study: pulling unauthorized uses of a #1 hit
• Why live concert royalties are one of the least transparent systems in music
• How Congress, the Copyright Royalty Board, and PROs shape songwriter income
• Elon Musk, platform leverage, and the future battle over music pricing
• Why artist-owned “home bases” are the most powerful path forward
• How education changes your leverage with labels and publishers
Key Takeaways
• Songwriters are independent rights holders, not employees, which blocks collective bargaining
• Once a song is released, key rights are permanently restricted
• Publishers and PROs do not equal songwriter representation
• Transparency failures aren’t accidental, they’re structural
• Ownership without control is not freedom
• The future belongs to creators who own, leverage, streamline, and sustain from their own platforms
Memorable Quotes
“Owning your song and controlling your song are two very different things.”
“The inventor is the only one in the system who isn’t allowed to set the price.”
“If you don’t like the cost of music, don’t use music. Don’t over-leverage it.”
“Spotify and TikTok should be billboards, not the destination.”
Action Steps for Songwriters & Artists
• Understand your rights before releasing music
• Stop confusing advances with income
• Audit where your royalties are actually coming from
• Build a private, artist-owned home base
• Use platforms as traffic, not dependency
• Educate yourself before signing your next deal
Resources & Next Steps
• Join the Sold for a Song community:
TerranceSawchuk.com
• Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help this message reach more creators
• Share this episode with a songwriter who still believes “someone else is watching out for them”
About the Host
Terrance “Terry” Sawchuk is a Billboard #1, multi-platinum songwriter, producer, and industry veteran with over three decades in the trenches. Sold for a Song exists to challenge the systems that undervalue creators—and to offer real pathways back to ownership, leverage, and sustainability.
Sold 4 a Song™ Podcast
Hosted by Terrance Sawchuk, Billboard #1 multi-platinum songwriter, producer, artist, mixer, and entrepreneur.
Sold 4 a Song™ is a living exploration of creative worth, ownership, and the true value of music—inside the systems that monetize it.
If this episode resonates, you can follow the work at sold4asong.com.
