$424M
01unclaimed
Royalties in limbo, waiting to be claimed
Source: Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)
Music Industry Claims
Finally, a safe place to complain about the industry.
Submit your issue. It stays private. We document it. We use it to create mechanisms for change and accountability.
Who we are
We're listening.
Music Industry Claims (MIC) is operated by creatives and advocates with 120+ collective years in the space. We're not lawyers. We're not affiliated with major labels, publishers, distributors, or industry players.
Market intelligence layer: We're documenting what's actually happening so we can identify patterns and help build better solutions.
Quantified harm
The damage is undeniable.
85%
02silent
Abuse unreported from fear of retaliation
Source: UK Musician's Union
60%
03unregistered
Indie artists missing publishing revenue
Source: Chartlex — 2,400+ artist campaigns
70%
04experienced harassment
Women in music report sexual harassment
Source: Makarem & Associates
88%
05never reported
Self-employed musicians never formally report discrimination
Source: Open University Research
1 in 5
06locked in
Artists trapped in unfavorable early-career contracts
Source: Chartlex
What this is
A confidential record of your claim.
Your claim is only visible to you and our small administrative team. Nobody you name gets contacted, notified, or shown what you submit.
If it happened, it belongs on the record.
File a Claim What you can file
Name the issue.
Real examples of the problems people are already navigating.
Unpaid Royalties / Mechanical Rights
“Been signed to [PUBLISHER] for 8 years. My songs have 2M+ streams but I've never seen a mechanical royalty statement. They say it's 'in processing.' It's been 18 months.”
Contract Breach / Non-Payment
“Signed a sync deal for a Netflix show. Contract said $5K upfront + $2K per renewal. They used the song for 3 seasons but never paid the renewals. Won't respond to emails.”
Accounting Issues / Audit Request
“My label promised quarterly accounting. I've asked 4 times in a year. Still waiting. No response to my lawyer's requests either.”
Copyright / Ownership Dispute
“My former co-writer claims 50% ownership of a song I wrote alone. They say they 'contributed ideas.' I have no written agreement. We recorded it at my studio. Don't know how to prove authorship.”
Harassment / Discrimination
“Left a major label after my A&R repeatedly made comments about my body. When I raised it, I was dropped from the roster. No documentation. No recourse.”
Licensing / Sync Issues
“My song was used in a commercial without permission. I found out 6 months later. The company says their licensing rep 'thought they had clearance.' They won't pay for unauthorized use.”
Label / Distribution Problems
“My label won't release my master recordings. Contract expired 3 years ago. They say they 'own the recordings forever.' No buyout clause I can find. Can't re-record or move to another label.”
Publishing / PRO Issues
“Registered my song with BMI 2 years ago. It's on Spotify with 500K plays. Got one performance royalty payment ($3) and nothing since. Support doesn't respond. It has been 4 months, and yes, I've checked junk.”
What success looks like
It starts with filing.
Getting unclaimed royalties back. Amending burned bridges. Creating new connections to helpful entities. Sometimes it's documentation that helps you sleep at night. Sometimes it's finding the right person or service that can actually help. Sometimes it's realizing you're not alone.
We'll listen. We'll document it. We'll look for patterns. And if we can help, we'll tell you how.
File a ClaimQuestions
“I told my label that my A&R was being extremely inappropriate with me and was immediately told by mutual contacts that I'd never work in this business again.”— Anonymous claim, MIC database