In this episode, I sat down with Ryan Schmidt—a respected music lawyer and singer/songwriter—to break down the legal side of the music business that most artists avoid until it’s too late.We’re talking mechanical royalties, publishing splits, and what really goes down in disputes between independent artists and major labels. Ryan’s been in the trenches, protecting artists’ rights, and he’s not here to sugarcoat anything.If you don’t understand how your royalties are calculated, who’s entitled to what, or what terms you’re actually signing—this episode is mandatory. Don’t wait until you’re stuck in a bad deal to start caring about music law.