There’s no doubt that audio and video streaming has increased significantly within the past few years. Globally, the recorded music market alone grew by 6 percent in 2016, according to IFPI’s Global Music Report. Much of this growth can be attributed to streaming, which saw a 60 percent increase in revenue, and now accounts for more than half of the revenue streams within the recording industry. According to Nielsen, music consumption levels are at an all-time high and have b

In the music industry, bands, songwriters and music publishers get paid a sum of money upfront along with a royalty for every sale. For example, for every stream and download, they will get a variable amount of money that is calculated in a complicated way. In the film and TV industry, the concept is similar, but it's not called a royalty but rather a profit participation. This is a share of the "profit" that the movie generates. Likewise, in other industries, typically peopl

Q. What can potential clients do to catch miscalculations? A. Outside of hiring a professional, there are always things that can help ensure that a client is getting what he or she deserves. First, having a good team is helpful—having a good attorney, for example. If the client is a person that can afford these representatives, having a good business manager and good agent is a big help. If you yourself are not going to look at the payments or statements that come in quarterl

Q: What got you interested in royalties and participation audits? A: I got into it because my dad is an entertainment attorney. And I went into accounting and he suggested, "You should check out this niche of accounting. It's called royalty accounting or participation auditing. Check it out, you might like it." And I did, and I liked it. It's been more than 25 years now that I've been doing it, and I still like it. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job? A: It's kind