Why Most Artists Are Getting Screwed on YouTube - And Don’t Even Know It

You ever get the feeling you’re being ripped off, but can’t prove it?

That’s pretty much the default setting for most artists on YouTube.

Let’s talk real for a minute.

Everyone loves to say artists are earning money “more than ever” from streaming, right?
Spotify, YouTube, TikTok – it’s the new golden age of music, they say.

But here’s the part they don’t say:
You have no idea what your actual numbers are.
Not the CPM. Not the RPM. Not what your video really generated last month.
Not what YouTube paid out, and especially not what made it into your pocket.
Why? It’s an important question.

There’s a reason it’s called a “black box.”

What if I told you most artists never get direct access to their own channel analytics - or that the “artist portal” they’re offered is basically a filtered spreadsheet, filled with noise and zero context?

And here’s the kicker:
Some of the labels are running your YouTube revenue through third-party structures that were literally designed to make audits nearly impossible.

So what happens?

Your content goes out. You rack up millions of views.
But instead of a direct, transparent cut, the money takes a detour:
Through a “partner,” a “network,” a “service layer.”
Effectively - a wall between you and your actual income.

By the time the label reports back to you, the data is diluted, stripped of context, and processed through a formula that looks like it came from NASA.
How do you now that you are not being paid on a pro-rata market share…
Instead of what your music actually earned on the platform.

And you know what’s wild?

Most artists don’t even know this is happening.
Why would they? They’re told “everything’s fine.”
This changes when we audit.

We’ve seen cases where artists only receive 30% of what their YouTube videos actually generated.
The rest? Sliced away as “service fees,” platform deductions, or just... vanished into the system.

This isn’t just bad accounting. This is structural.

And the deeper you dig, the more you realize:
The entire setup was built to keep you out.
Out of the numbers. Out of the control. Out of the conversation.

So what now?

I’m just saying - maybe it’s time to stop trusting systems that were never designed for you in the first place.

If you’re an artist and you’re not asking where your YouTube money is - you’re already losing out.

Follow the money. Ask the questions. And don’t stop when the answers get uncomfortable.

Because trust me - they will.