Key Metrics
100x
increase in licensing revenue
400
unlicensed uses identified
Executive Summary
When Joseph Rayhbuck went viral on TikTok in late 2024, his songs instantly became one of the hottest assets a brand could use in advertising. But as his popularity exploded, Joe discovered hundreds of brands — including major advertisers — were using his music without proper licenses. What should have been a career milestone instead became a significant legal and financial burden. That’s when he turned to Third Chair and within months, increased his licensing revenue by more than 100×.
Introduction
Joseph Rayhbuck, the musician and producer behind Fat Coda Studios, is a seasoned accompanist and percussionist with deep roots in traditional African rhythms and a professional career spanning more than 30 states, multiple national tours, and chart-topping Americana and Folk albums. Joe’s music has been featured in viral videos, branded content, and modern dance performances.
Through Fat Coda Studios, he collaborates with artists across disciplines, from national touring acts to leading dance companies in the Bay Area. Yet despite the broad reach of his work, Joe lacked the infrastructure and resources to monetize unauthorized commercial uses of his music at scale.
Challenge
In late 2024, Joe’s track “Laterals” exploded on TikTok as the soundtrack to the viral “Boyfriend’s Interpretive Dance” meme, appearing in more than 50,000 videos. As the trend took off, advertisers rushed to use the track to boost engagement. While a handful licensed it properly, many brands, including major advertisers, used the song without securing a license.
Joe faced a familiar set of challenges for independent creators:
No visibility into where or how his music was being used
No legal nor licensing infrastructure to pursue claims or negotiate payments
Significant lost revenue from brands that should have paid for the right to use his work
Solution
That’s when Fat Coda partnered with Third Chair and its curated legal network to help enforce his copyrights and recover owed revenue.
Working with Third Chair, Fat Coda was able to:
Monitor social platforms and detect hundreds of brand uses of his music.
Prioritize high-value licensing opportunities from large advertisers.
Escalate claims to Third Chair’s network of experienced attorneys to monetize his copyrights.
Result
After several months of working together, Third Chair helped Fat Coda Studios:
Identify more than 400 unlicensed commercial uses
Increase licensing revenue by more than 100×
Establish a scalable system for ongoing enforcement and recurring revenue recovery
“As a small, independent musician, I was completely caught off guard when my music went viral on social media. Third Chair has helped to increase my revenue by 100x within 6 months!"
Joe Rayhbuck
Fat Coda Studios
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