#27: Reclaiming Artists from the Direct-to-Fan Trap

This episode exposes the myth of "direct-to-fan" when artists rely on third-party platforms that own the data, APIs, and revenue streams. It explains how rented platforms can strip creators of rights, credit, and sustainable income. Host Terrence Sawchuk outlines a better path: building private portals and owning your audience, data, and monetization. He shares practical thinking and resources to help artists and creators reclaim value, leverage their work, and build lasting careers.     Resources & Next Steps Pick up your copy of my new book, $old 4 a $ong (How Music Creators Lost Their Worth, and How to Take It Back) sold4asong.com Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help this message reach more creators Share this episode with a songwriter who still believes “someone else is watching out for them” About the Host Terrance “Terry” Sawchuk is a Billboard #1, multi-platinum songwriter, producer, engineer and now author with over three decades in the trenches. Sold for a Song exists to challenge the systems that undervalue creators—and to offer real pathways back to ownership, leverage, and sustainability. Sold 4 a Song™ Podcast Hosted by Terrance Sawchuk, Billboard #1 multi-platinum songwriter, producer, artist, mixer, and entrepreneur. The Book (How Music Creators Lost Their Worth, and How to Take It Back) is a living exploration of creative worth, ownership, and the true value of music—inside the systems that monetize it. If this episode resonates, you can follow the work at sold4asong.com