Music is everywhere. Streaming’s booming. But the creators? They’re still starving. In this brutally honest episode of The Deep Dive - powered by NeonKore Media, we pull apart the tangled royalty chains, explore the emotional toll of ghostwriting, and expose the quiet exploitation hiding in every “play.” We cover everything—K-pop’s idol factories, algorithmic gatekeeping, songwriting camps, digital black boxes, and the survival hustle of indie artists navigating merch, sync, and NFTs just to break even.

From upfront producer fees to lost royalties drifting through foreign societies, from curated serendipity to data-driven manipulation, this is a no-filter conversation about power, transparency, and the vanishing line between passion and profit.

If you've ever wondered who actually profits from the song stuck in your head, or what it really costs to be a creator in a world of vanishing credit and invisible hands, this one’s for you.

Welcome to the deep end of the music machine.