02 - THE STAKES
Music runs on relationships.
01
​
Co-writers
​
Work together across decades. One lawsuit ends a creative partnership that might have produced a hundred more songs.
02
​
Artists & Labels
​
Mid-contract disputes don't disappear in court — they detonate. The business relationship becomes collateral damage.
03
​​
Managers & Artists
​​
Built on personal trust. Once it's adversarial and public, even a 'win' is a loss. Future deals evaporate.
The music business is a small town. What litigation does to a reputation lasts longer than the verdict.
03 - THE HIDDEN COST
Unresolved disputes don't wait...they compound.
Most music industry disputes don't land in a courtroom on day one. They sit while the clock runs and money stops moving.
01
Royalty payments frozen or disputed
02
Releases stalled or contractually blocked
03
Catalog ownership unclear or unlicensable
04
Sync and brand deals lost to uncertainty
05
Partners drift into litigation posture anyway
The faster the resolution, the sooner the money can flow.
04 - WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT
Music disputes are unlike any other business conflict.
01
​
Onoing creative relationships​​
Unlike a vendor dispute, co-writers and collaborators may need to work together again. Litigation makes that impossible.
02
​
IP that keeps generating value​
A catalog compounds over time. A dispute that freezes ownership stops the clock on years of potential income.
03
​​
Reputation as currency​​
In a networked industry, how a dispute is handled is as important as the outcome. Public litigation signals you're difficult to work with.
04
​​
Emotional stakes are real​​
These aren't just contracts — they're creative legacies. Effective mediation acknowledges that and reaches durable agreements.
05 - ABOUT
_edited.jpg)
Steven Corn
Mediator • Music Industry Veteran
30+ years in the business
Not just around.
Most mediators learn about the music industry. I built my career inside it.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
01
BFM Digital:
Co-Founder; music distribution serving hundreds of content partners across all major DSPs.
02
Made In Memphis Entertainment:
Head of business affairs for label, distribution, synchronization and publishing operations.
03
Viewpoint Consulting Services:
Fractional business affairs, catalog management and operations consulting
04
Los Angeles College of Music:
Faculty Professor: Publishing, Royalties, Distribution, International markets, Music Business Law & Contracts
04
BFM JAZZ
CEO, jazz label with 5 Grammy® Awards and 17 nominations.
CREDENTIALS:
â—† Certified Mediator with 200+ Hours Training
â—† Roster Mediator: Maryland Circuit Court (Baltimore City, Howard, Frederick, Montgomery Counties)
â—† Roster Mediator: Maryland District Court
â—† Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County
​
​
â—† ABA Dispute Resolution Group
â—† Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence (MPME)
â—† Maryland Council of Dispute Resolution
â—† Southern California Mediation Association
​
06 - DOMAIN FLUENCY
What I know that other
mediators don't.
You won't spend the first session explaining what a split sheet is
01
​​
Publishing & Royalties
​
Mechanical, performance, sync — and how PRO registration gaps create disputes.
02
​
Streaming Economics
​
Platform royalty structures, streaming fraud, and how data informs asset valuation.
03
​​
Distribution Agreements​​
Label/distributor relationships, term structures, and the points of friction that generate disputes.
04
​​
Artist/Manager Dynamics
​Commission structures, California Talent Agencies Act implications, termination clauses.
05
​
Copyright Claims ​
​
Work-for-hire, co-authorship, catalog ownership, and international rights frameworks.
06
​​
Catalog Valuation
​​
Understanding what a catalog is worth... crucial for asset division and settlement math.
07 - SCOPE OF PRACTICE
The cases I'm built for:
01
Songwriter and Producer Disputes
02
Artist/Manager disputes
03
Publishing royalty disagreements
04
Catalog valuation in estates & divorces
05
Sample clearance & IP disputes
06
Band partnership disputes
07
Label contract breaches
08
Sync licensing conflicts
09
Underpayment Royalties
10
Name, Image and Likeness disputes
08 - CONFIDENTIALITY
What the music industry demands above all else.
AT STAKE FROM PUBLIC LITIGATION
-
​Reputation and brand partnerships
-
Streaming momentum and DSP relationships
-
Label goodwill mid-contract
-
Future co-writing and collaboration
-
Control of the press narrative
Private by default​
Parties control the narrative
Sealed agreements
No discovery circus
Fast (weeks not months)
MEDIATION
Public court record
Press can attend hearings
Judgments are public
Depositions can leak
Slow (years)
LITAGATION
Parties control the outcome
​
Mediated agreements are crafted by the parties, not imposed by a judge. CEDR reports that over 93% of mediators say they have never or rarely encountered enforcement issues with a mediated settlement.
Even partial resolution has value​
When mediation doesn't produce full settlement, it almost always narrows the issues; reducing the cost and duration of any litigation that follows. The process pays regardless of outcome.
09 - LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Every entertainment lawyer needs a mediator
on speed dial.
01
You identify a dispute that might resolve short of litigation.
02
You make a brief introduction. I handle the intake.
03
Mediation is confidential; your client relationship stays intact.
04
You remain as drafting counsel for any agreement reached.
WHAT A REFERRAL LOOKS LIKE
(818) 917-6893 direct
(888) 638-4763
metismediationservices.com/musicindusty