Imagine a winning lottery ticket with no name on it. That’s how unclaimed music royalties pile up when artists skip one small step: getting an IPI number. We unpack how identity powers the royalty ecosystem—and why millions of dollars never reach the people who earned them.
We start with the core problem: without an IPI (Interested Party Information), the global network that tracks performances and publishing can’t “see” you. Plays from streaming, radio, cafés, and viral videos generate money, but incomplete data pushes those earnings into black boxes or, worse, into the wallet of someone with a similar name. We share a real indie case where a viral YouTube placement produced zero publishing income because the artist wasn’t registered, then map the practical fixes any creator can put in place this week.
You’ll learn where to register—ASCAP or BMI in the U.S., PRS for Music in the U.K., GEMA in Germany, SACEM in France—and why you shouldn’t wait for a release to get your identity set. We dig into the metadata basics that stop leaks: consistent titles, accurate writer names, IPIs for all collaborators, clear splits, and aligning details across distributors, PROs, and sync paperwork. We also highlight costs (often free or low) and the real price of delay: months of missing payouts and irreversible redistributions.
Our takeaway is clear and actionable: secure your IPI, embed it everywhere, and treat metadata as part of your craft. In a complex business, this is a lever you control. If this guide helps you protect your songs and your income, follow the show, share it with a fellow creator, and leave a quick review so more independent artists can find it.
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