Charlie Hayz Music, LLC
Production Retainer Application
You own the masters.
A production retainer for independent artists who are done renting their own catalog. The master of every beat you choose, and of the finished song you make with it, is transferred to you in writing. And you’re working directly with your executive producer, not a storefront. You apply with your music and your vision. If it’s a fit, we talk.
The application is at the bottom of this page. Take a few minutes to read exactly what you’re applying for.
Why this exists
Most artists are renting the music
they spent years making.
You lease a beat, and somebody else keeps the master. Your license caps your streams, the splits get murky, and the song you poured yourself into never fully belongs to you.
Then the next song starts and the whole thing repeats, usually with a producer who stops caring the moment the payment clears.
That’s the gap this closes. Music you own outright, made with someone who’s invested in how it turns out.
Who you would be working with
I am one person and
that is the whole point.
My name is Cody. I produce and release as Charlie Hayz out of Jacksonville, Florida. This isn’t an agency with a support queue and an account manager who has never heard your music.
When you’re approved, you work directly with me. I help you pick the right beats or build one from scratch, I make sure your record sounds finished, and I’m the one who answers when you have a question the week of your release.
I take on a limited number of artists at a time, which is exactly why there’s an application instead of a checkout button.
You own the asset.
Forever.
No leases and no master royalty splits. Every beat you finalize comes off the market permanently, and the master copyright of both the beat and the finished recording transfers to you. That ownership doesn’t expire and doesn’t get revisited later.
Here is the one split. On the underlying composition of the song you record, I keep 30% of the publishing. That’s my only stake, and it means I’m invested in the record doing well for as long as it earns.
- The master of every beat you finalize, transferred to you in writing
- 100% of the master on the finished song, with no backend claim
- 70% of the publishing on the finished song stays with you
- No rights that revert to me later
- Clean paperwork, so ownership is never in question
Records that sound
finished.
About 20 years of production go into every beat in the catalog. And the record doesn’t stop at the beat: you record, send me your stems, and the finished song comes back mixed and mastered, ready for your review.
- Mixing and mastering included on every retainer track
- A catalog built across boom bap, soul, electronic and cinematic sounds
- Remote recording options if you need them
Guidance that works
for your lane.
This is what the word retainer means here. You’re not buying files from a storefront. You have an executive producer who knows your project and is reachable while you make it.
- One-on-one strategy calls on your vision, positioning and release plan
- Curation calls where I hand-pick the right beats for what you’re building
- A home studio setup consult, so your vocals come in clean
- Custom production built from scratch for your song. A custom beat uses two production slots.
Slots, not a
shopping cart.
Your retainer comes in production slots. Each slot is one song, and you spend them when you’re ready, on the beats that fit.
- One slot equals one beat from the catalog
- Reserving a beat pulls it off the market for 31 days while you write
- Swap-out guarantee: change your mind on any reserved beat at no cost, right up until you finalize
- When you finalize, the master copyright transfers to you
- Custom production counts as two slots
Included with every retainer
Everything around
the music, handled.
12 months of Indie Label O.S. Membership
The release and rights management system on its own is a separate membership. Your retainer includes a full year of it. See what’s inside →
Managed launch campaign
Smart link, conversion tracking and a managed first month of Meta ads on your first release.
Artist Block and NFC kit
An electronic press kit linked to a card, bracelet and keychain. One tap loads your music, bio and booking info.
Collectible cassette run
A limited physical run for two songs, ready for your merch table and store.
Is this for you
Built for artists
who are all in.
It’s for you if you have a real project in motion, you want to own what you make, and you’re ready to invest in doing it properly.
It’s not for you if you need a beat for one loosie next week. Lease one; it’s cheaper and it’s the right call. And if you want the release system without production, the membership is the better fit.
How it works
Four steps from this page
to your first project in the pipeline.
You apply
Send your music and tell me what you are building. This takes a few minutes. I am listening for the sound and looking for the vision and work ethic. No music yet? Send a voice note of your demo.
I review it personally
Every application gets listened to by me, not a form filter. If it is a fit, you get an invite to a Vision Call on the calendar.
We get on the Vision Call
We talk through your project, your timeline, and what you actually need. This is where we figure out which tier fits and how to structure it.
You onboard and we build
Portal access, beat selection, hardware ships, and your first project enters the pipeline. From there we work.
The application
Send me your music.
I will only respond if the application is a fit. Nobody gets pressured into this but nobody gets carried through it either. This is a project pipeline with the accountability artists generally go without, and my 30% of the publishing means I am betting on the same outcome you are.
If everything above lines up with where you are trying to go, the application is right below.
WHO GETS ACCEPTED?
I moved away from the high-volume supermarket model of selling cheap leases to thousands. I operate on an exclusive, 1-on-1 partnership basis using production slots. Therefore, I limit my work to artists who:
- Have a Vision: You are building a cohesive catalog to own as an Income Producing Asset, not just hunting for a quick single to release here and there.
- Can raise Capital: You understand that ownership of assets is an investment for future growth and sustainability.
- Value Sovereignty: You don’t like being a tenant and prefer operating like a media company that acquires intellectual property.
- Builds Systems: You have that vision but need tools and guidance on how to execute it.
The Sovereign Model: Why “Slots” Are Safer Than Direct Purchases
The flaws in the traditional exclusive market are rigidity and unclear terms. Usually once you buy a beat, you are stuck with it and don’t even own it. You might own the the new song you record with the beat but not the beat itself, and if the song doesn’t come together or your creative direction shifts, that investment is lost.
That is why I operate on a Flexible Slot + Definitive Ownership System. Think of a ‘Production Slot’ as an open workspace rather than a rigid purchase. If you secure 5 Slots, you can reserve 5 beats today. But if you realize a month later that two of them don’t fit your vision? Exchange them.
You can return a beat to the Library and select a new one or get a custom. I keep your investment liquid until you are 100% satisfied. The Slot is only permanently closed once we finalize the track and sign the exclusive transfer of masters contract; this guarantees you get the exact production you need without the fear of wasted capital.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO APPLY
Production Retainer Application
This is an application for a recording artist to inquire about exclusive music production and artist infrastructure services.