Charlie Hayz Music, LLC
Production Retainer Application
You own the masters.
A production and project retainer for independent artists who are done renting their own catalog. You get the beat’s master and the finished song’s master transferred to you and a system with a defined next step at every stage. You apply with your music, your vision and your readiness to put in the work. If the vibe is right, we can talk.
The application is at the bottom of this page. Take a few minutes to scroll and read exactly what you are applying for.
Why this exists
Most artists are renting the music
they spent years making through leasing and funky contracts.
You lease a beat, somebody else keeps the master. The splits get murky, the paperwork never gets filed, and the release goes out with no plan because nobody around you cared enough to guide you through building one.
Then the next song starts and the whole thing repeats. Not because you lack talent or drive but because you have been running four jobs at once and teaching yourself every one of them in real time.
That is the gap this closes. Not a leg up and not a favor, but a system with concrete steps at every stage and media assets for financial growth.
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 is not an agency with a support queue and an account manager who has never heard your music.
When you get approved, you are working directly with me. I help you pick the right beats or build it custom from scratch, I get your files to be sonically spectacular, and I am the one who answers when you have a question at the week of your release. You still do the work but now you have actionable steps.
I take on a limited number of artists at a time, which is exactly why there is an application instead of a checkout button.
You own the asset.
Forever.
No leases. No master royalty splits. Your retainer funds unlock exclusive ownership to beats in the catalog plus the new song recording, and that ownership does not expire, and does not get revisited later.
Here is the one split. I transfer the Master copyrights to you for both the beat and the finished recording. On the underlying composition in the finished song you record over it, I ask for 30% of the publishing.
- Exclusive transfer of ownership in the Master Sound Recordings for every beat you reserve
- 100% of the master on the finished song, no split, no backend claim
- 70% of the publishing (underlying composition) on the finished song stays with you
- No catalog lock-in and no rights that revert to me later
- Clean paperwork so the rights are never in question
Eleven stages, one dashboard,
a clear next step at each one.
Lifetime access to the Artist Portal and Indie Label Operation System. Every release moves through the same eleven stages, from beat selection or production to the analytics after it drops, and each stage tells you the next move.
Organize your releases, manage your splits, write and store your lyrics, build your metadata before distribution, and run your rollout from one place instead of six different apps and a notes file.
The real payoff is what it does to your habits. Every stage gives you specific actions so after a couple of releases you stop thinking about the workflow because the workflow has become the way you work.
You will never sit down
wondering what to post.
Making the song is half of it. The other half is the eight weeks around the release and creating content for social media. That is exactly where most independent artists stall out and go quiet.
Inside the portal you set your posting rhythm once. How many times a week you can realistically show up, which days, and how the week splits between finding new listeners, building the ones you already have, and converting them on release week. Then the idea generator fills that rhythm with filmable concepts built around your audience and your actual record, each one with a hook and a call to action already written. Edit them, rewrite them, or throw them out. They are a starting point to jumpstart your creativity.
Commit the ones you will actually make, mark them filmed, drag them onto the calendar, and export straight into Metricool or a CSV. A month of content goes from a blank page to a scheduled queue with little effort.
- A posting rhythm and funnel mix you set once and adjust as your capacity changes
- Content ideas generated around your audience, your release, and your voice
- A filming pool so committed ideas stay put until you have actually shot them
- Drag and drop scheduling with export to Metricool or CSV
You are getting guidance
that works for your lane.
Personal strategy calls for every client. We talk through the vision for the project, where it should sit in the market, and what to do the week it lands.
If you are staring at the catalog and cannot decide, we hop on a call and I hand-pick the exact productions for what you are building, this is part of what the word retainer means here. I am your executive producer, not a storefront like those other jabronis.
Mixing & Mastering on
every retainer track.
You record, you send me the stems, and the finished record comes back ready for your review and approval. Vocal mixing and track mastering is included on every track you make with me. If needed, we can discuss remote recording options.
Tap the card.
Skip the awkward part.
You get a dedicated Artist Block. This is your own EPK page, linked to a set of NFC smart devices: a black card, a bracelet, and a keychain.
Tap any of them on a promoter’s phone, a fan’s phone, or an A&R’s phone for your music, bio, and booking info to load instantly. No fumbling for a link, no “let me text you something later.” You also get a limited manufacturing run of collectible cassettes for two songs, ready to sell direct to your fans.
The hardware ships during onboarding, so you have it in hand before the first release goes out.
The record does not
promote itself.
Most independent releases go out and then nothing happens, because the week it drops is the week the artist runs out of energy. Your first release with me gets an actual campaign behind it.
I build the smart link, wire up conversion tracking so we can see who is actually clicking through to stream rather than just tapping an ad, and run a managed month of Meta ads while the release is still new and the algorithm is still deciding what to do with it.
You also get a custom playlist built around your sound. Not a “this is your name” playlist that nobody searches for, but a mood-branded one built on what people actually look for, with your tracks placed through it alongside the artists you sit next to. Every release you add afterward inherits that audience without new spend.
- Smart link built and conversion tracking configured
- A managed month of ads on your first release
- A mood-branded playlist built around your sound
- Ad spend is separate and stays in your own account
Swap-Out Guarantee
Creative direction changed? Swap any reserved beat at no cost. Your investment never gets stranded on a song you stopped believing in.
1-on-1 Beat Curation
Overwhelmed by the catalog? We get on a Zoom and I hand-select the exact productions that fit the project you are building.
Marketing & Funnels
Pre-built SMS and email scripts, the Fan Dossier builder, and direct-to-consumer conversion models. Stop renting your audience from Spotify and start owning a list.
Launch Readiness
A checklist that gets the business side handled before you release. PRO registration, SoundExchange, publishing admin, distribution, and your file systems. The unglamorous work that decides whether your royalties actually find you.
Collectible Cassettes
A limited physical run for two songs, ready for your store. Real merch your day-one fans can actually hold.
Transparent Terms
Every line of what you are paying for is published on the shop page. No bundled pricing, no “contact for quote,” and no clause that contradicts the one above it.
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.