Terms of Service — The Artist Economy

Last updated: April 2026

1. What This Is

The Artist Economy is an independent publication covering the music industry’s real economics — the business models, structural failures, and frameworks that actually matter for artists, managers, and anyone building something in music.

It is written and operated by Joel Gouveia, Toronto, Canada.

By subscribing — free or paid — you agree to these terms. If you don’t agree, don’t subscribe. Simple as that.

2. The Publication

The Artist Economy publishes long-form analysis, insider playbooks, and industry commentary. Content is divided between:

Free: Available to all subscribers and publicly accessible on the web.

Paid (The 2%): Restricted to paying subscribers. Includes insider playbooks, the Monetize the 2% framework, monthly group strategy calls, and direct access.

Content is published on a regular cadence but schedules are not guaranteed. Life happens. When it does, subscribers will be notified.

3. Subscriptions and Payment

Free subscriptions require only an email address and carry no payment obligation.

Paid subscriptions are processed through Stripe via Substack’s payment infrastructure. By subscribing to a paid tier you authorize recurring charges at the rate selected — monthly or annual — until you cancel.

Cancellation: You can cancel your paid subscription at any time through your Substack account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. No partial refunds are issued for unused time within a billing period unless required by applicable law.

Refunds: Refund requests are handled case by case. If you believe you were charged in error or experienced a technical failure that prevented access to paid content, reply to any email from this publication or contact joel@sincerelymanagement.com and it will be resolved.

Price changes: If subscription pricing changes, existing subscribers will be notified with reasonable advance notice before any change takes effect.

4. Intellectual Property

Everything published in The Artist Economy — articles, frameworks, playbooks, graphics, and the Monetize the 2% booklet — is the intellectual property of Joel Gouveia unless otherwise stated.

What you can do:

• Share links to free articles anywhere you like

• Quote short excerpts (under 50 words) with clear attribution to The Artist Economy and a link to the original piece

• Forward emails to colleagues who might find them useful

What you cannot do:

• Reproduce full articles or substantial portions of them without written permission

• Republish paid content anywhere — in full or in part — without written permission

• Use any content from this publication to train AI models, build competing products, or for commercial purposes without explicit written agreement

• Share paid subscription access, login credentials, or paid content with non-subscribers

Violations will result in immediate subscription cancellation without refund and may result in legal action.

5. Not Professional Advice

The Artist Economy publishes analysis, opinion, and frameworks based on the author’s experience and research. Nothing published here constitutes legal, financial, accounting, or professional business advice.

The music industry is complex and context-specific. What works for one artist or situation may not work for another. Apply anything you read here with your own judgment and, where appropriate, the guidance of qualified professionals.

6. No Guarantees

Content is published in good faith and with rigorous sourcing wherever possible. However, the music industry moves fast. Data, platform policies, and industry structures change. The Artist Economy makes no guarantee that any specific piece of analysis will remain accurate indefinitely.

Results described or implied in any article — artist revenue figures, campaign outcomes, subscriber numbers — reflect specific circumstances and are not promises of similar results for any reader.

7. Comments and Community

The Artist Economy hosts comments on articles and community discussion through Substack Chat. By participating you agree to:

• Keep it substantive — no spam, no self-promotion without context, no harassment

• Respect that this is a professional community — disagreement is welcome, bad faith isn’t

• Accept that comments or chat messages that violate these standards will be removed and repeat violations will result in subscription cancellation

The Artist Economy is not a democracy. Editorial decisions — including what gets published, what gets removed, and who gets access — are made by Joel Gouveia and are final.

8. Privacy

Subscriber email addresses and payment information are collected and processed through Substack’s platform infrastructure. Substack’s privacy policy governs how that data is stored and handled.

The Artist Economy uses subscriber data — including survey responses and engagement patterns — to inform editorial decisions. This data is never sold to third parties. Ever.

If you reply to any email from this publication, that reply is read by Joel Gouveia directly. It is not shared publicly without your permission.

9. Third Party Links

Articles in The Artist Economy occasionally link to external sources, tools, or platforms. These links are editorial — inclusion of a link is not a paid endorsement unless explicitly stated as sponsored content, which will always be clearly disclosed.

The Artist Economy is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or accuracy of any third-party site.

10. Changes to These Terms

These terms may be updated periodically. Subscribers will be notified of material changes via email before they take effect. Continued subscription after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

11. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of this publication will be resolved in the courts of Ontario.