Here’s a practical, prioritized checklist you can follow to recover missing music income (royalties, license fees, YouTube revenue, etc.). Use the checklist as a workflow — do the quick wins first, then escalate if needed.

1. Triage — locate likely missing sources

• List all possible income streams where you might be missing money:
  • Digital distributor payouts (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc.)
  • Mechanical royalties (digital mechanicals from streaming/downloads)
  • Performance royalties (PROs: ASCAP / BMI / SESAC in the U.S.)
  • Digital performance royalties (SoundExchange for non-interactive digital radio in the U.S.)
  • Publishing income (mechanicals, print, sync/license fees)
  • Neighboring/related rights (international performers’ rights)
  • YouTube/Content ID & video monetization
  • Sync/license fees from placements (TV, film, ads, libraries)
  • Physical sales and sync invoices
• Prioritize the streams where you expect the most money or the easiest fixes (distributor/accounting errors and unregistered PRO/SoundExchange claims are common quick wins).

2. Gather evidence & documentation (do this first — you’ll need it to prove claims) Collect:

• Release date(s), UPCs, ISRCs, track titles, artist names, album/label name
• Contracts (distribution, label, publishing splits, any sync/license agreements)
• Registration confirmations with PROs / The MLC / SoundExchange / publishing admin
• Statements (statements of account from distributor, PROs, YouTube, SoundExchange)
• Bank deposit records showing what you were paid
• Metadata screenshots from DSP pages and distributor dashboard
• Audio files and masters (to prove authorship/ownership)
• Any invoices or email correspondence about licenses Keep digital copies and a one-page summary table (track / ISRC / release date / expected income / amounts paid / shortfall).

3. Reconcile & quantify the shortfall

• Create a simple spreadsheet by source and by reporting period:
  • Expected amount (from statements, published rates, or prior payments)
  • Amount actually paid
  • Difference (shortfall)
• Note patterns: single missing line item vs consistent underpayment since X date.

4. Check registrations & metadata (most missing income is metadata/registration problems)

• Confirm each composition is registered with a PRO (correct writer/publisher splits).
• Confirm master recordings are registered and have ISRCs and proper owner listed.
• Ensure works are registered with The MLC (U.S. digital mechanicals) and SoundExchange (if applicable).
• For YouTube, ensure Content ID claims are enabled (via your distributor or an aggregator/partner).
• Fix obvious metadata mismatches (typos in artist name, missing co-writers, incorrect splits) — then re-submit registrations or corrections.

5. Contact the lowest-level payor first (distributor, aggregator, PRO portal)

• Distributor / aggregator:
  • Attach your evidence (ISRC, UPC, screenshot of the release, ledger showing missing royalties).
  • Ask for an accounting explanation and request an audit or reprocessing.
  • Use a short, clear subject line: “Request for accounting review — missing royalties for [Release title] (ISRC XXXXXX)”
• PRO / SoundExchange:
  • Use their claims/dispute portals and upload supporting docs.
  • Ask them to re-run matches or reassign payments to correct account.
• YouTube:
  • If you’re not in Content ID, contact your distributor or use a service (Audiam, AdRev, TuneCore/MonsterTracks partners) to claim monetization.
  • If a third party is monetizing your content incorrectly, file a Content ID dispute with documentation of ownership.

6. Provide clear demand and reasonable deadline

• In your initial contact ask for:
  • A clear explanation of the discrepancy
  • A re-audit or reprocessing of statements
  • Payment of any confirmed shortfalls
  • A response within a fixed time (e.g., 14–21 days)
• Keep all communication written (email). Track dates.

7. If the distributor/PRO says “no” or ignores you, escalate

• Ask for an itemized audit of your account.
• Request escalation to their accounting or legal team.
• If they provide an audit report, review it carefully (compare with your spreadsheet).
• If unresolved, send a formal demand letter (can be through an attorney).

8. Use third-party services if you lack time/expertise

• Publishing admin and royalty collection services (e.g., Songtrust, Sentric, others) can register works and pursue worldwide publishing/performing royalties for a fee or percentage.
• Royalty recovery/audit firms and music lawyers: good if the sum is large. They may work on contingency or hourly; get fee terms in writing.
• YouTube monetization partners (AdRev, Audiam, etc.) can collect and retroactively claim some revenues, depending on circumstances.

9. Consider an audit / legal action if amounts are material

• Contracts often permit an audit of the label/distributor accounts — exercise that right.
• Statute of limitations varies by claim and jurisdiction (in the U.S. commonly 3–6 years for contract/rate disputes); act quickly. If you suspect older missing royalties, consult a lawyer promptly.
• Litigation is a last resort — consider cost vs likely recovery.

10. Prevent future missing income (process improvements)

• Register every composition and master before release: PRO, MLC, SoundExchange, and any international societies.
• Use consistent metadata (artist name, punctuation, featuring credits) across DSPs and registrations.
• Keep a master spreadsheet that tracks every release, ISRC, UPC, release date, registrations, and where it’s distributed.
• Periodically reconcile statements (quarterly or biannually).
• When signing deals, retain audit rights and clear royalty/accounting clauses.

Quick email template — distributor/accounting Subject: Missing royalties — [Artist / Release / ISRC] Body: Hi [Name], I’m writing about missing/incorrect payments for “[Release title]” (ISRC: XXXXX, UPC: XXXXX), released on [date]. Per my records, I should have received [$X] for [reporting period(s)], but my statement shows [$Y]. I’ve attached: ISRC/UPC, release screenshot, distribution statement, and a summary spreadsheet. Please review and advise the accounting explanation and next steps for reprocessing. I’d appreciate a response within 14 days. Thanks, [Your name, contact info, owner/publisher details]

Quick email template — PRO/SoundExchange Subject: Claim/dispute — incorrectly assigned/missing royalty for “[Song title]” Body: Hello, I am the [writer/publisher/master owner] of “[Song title]” (ISWC: if available, ISRC: if master). My account is [account name/ID]. I’ve noticed royalties for this composition/performance are missing or assigned elsewhere. Attached: registration confirmation, ISRC, split sheet, and evidence of ownership. Please investigate and reassign/recoup any unpaid royalties. Please confirm receipt and expected timeline. Thank you, [Your name, account ID, contact]

What to expect — timeline and likelihood

• Simple metadata fixes or distributor reprocessing: days–weeks.
• PRO reassignments and SoundExchange corrections: weeks–months.
• Audits/legal recovery: months–years, depending on complexity and cooperation.
• Small fixes are common and often resolved without legal action; larger or older shortfalls may require audits or lawyers.

When to hire a professional

• Hire a publishing administrator/royalty auditor if the amount is > a few thousand dollars or if you don’t have time/expertise.
• Hire a music attorney if contracts are involved, a label/distributor refuses audits, or the statute-of-limitations is a concern.

If you want, I can:

• Provide a short template demand letter you can send as a PDF.
• Draft a spreadsheet layout for reconciling statements.
• Suggest wording to submit to a specific service (e.g., SoundExchange or The MLC) if you tell me which services you already use.

Would you like the email templates as downloadable text and a reconciliation spreadsheet template?