Major-label deals can leave artists with limited master ownership and unexpected recoupable expenses, significantly reducing artist earnings despite commercial success.
Dolly Parton once turned down a song request from Elvis Presley. That was just one business decision that helped build her $650 million empire | Fortune
"I said, 'I'm sorry, but I can't give you the publishing.' I wanted to hear Elvis sing it, and it broke my heart-I cried all night," Parton told W Magazine in 2021.