What are the most common music royalty disputes?

The most common music royalty disputes involve artist and producer royalties, not the statutory streams like mechanicals or performance royalties. These disputes usually center on what counts as "net", since artist and producer deals typically pay a percentage of net receipts, and labels and artists frequently disagree on what deductions belong in that calculation. Distribution fees, packaging deductions, breakage, and other charges can shrink net revenue significantly, and whether a given deduction is standard or improper is rarely spelled out clearly in the contract. Because these disputes turn on accounting and contract interpretation rather than clear statutory rates, mediation is often more effective than litigation. Mediation tends to work better here because these questions rarely have a clean legal answer. What counts as a standard deduction, or what split was agreed to, usually depends on industry custom, not contract language a court can cleanly interpret. A mediator who knows how these deals actually work can test the numbers against industry norms and help both sides land on an accounting method they can live with.