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About Us

Gold Tea Productions LLC is a global music publishing and consulting powerhouse founded in 2009 by Goldy Tavares and Dan Joffe. With offices in both the USA and South Africa, our mission is bold and clear: to educate, empower, and elevate creatives by ensuring they understand and protect their rights in the ever-evolving music industry.


With over 20 years of experience, Goldy Tavares brings a rare blend of business acumen and artistic vision. Goldy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, and has collaborated with numerous platinum and Grammy award-winning artists, writers, producers, and engineers. His commitment to championing creative rights and building lasting careers has made him a trusted figure in the music world.
Dan Joffe, with over 25 years in the industry, hold masters certification from the prestigious Berklee College of Music and the owner of Tea Time Studios, a premier recording studio based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Dan has worked with a wide range of platinum-selling and Grammy award-winning artists, producers, & writers producing and engineering music that resonates across continents. His deep knowledge of production and artist development continues to elevate the standard for creative excellence.

Together, Goldy and Dan have built Gold Tea Productions into a company with a strong international network—uniquely positioned to protect, guide, and empower creatives while helping them reach and exceed their potential.

We also offer an intuitive, easy-to-license music catalog for Music Supervisors seeking standout tracks for film, TV, ads, and other media. Reach out to us for instant access to music that moves the world.

At Gold Tea Productions, our focus remains unwavering: To ensure our clients maximize every opportunity, understand their creative rights, and receive the world-class support they deserve in today’s global music landscape.



Some of the films and tv shows our clients work has been used in


Understanding Your Rights as a Creative

At Gold Tea Productions, we believe knowledge is power. Below are some essential resources and tips to help you protect your work and maximize your earnings in the music industry.

Royalties 101

Royalties are how you get paid as a creative. There are a few types:

  • Performance Royalties: From PROs when your song's played publicly.
  • Mechanical Royalties: When your song's streamed or sold (collected by publishers or services like DistroKid).
  • Sync Royalties: When your music's used in TV, movies, or ads—Gold Tea can help here!

Quick Tip: Double-check your contracts to ensure you're not giving away more than you mean to.

What is a PRO?

PROs collect royalties for songwriters and publishers when their music is performed publicly—think radio, streaming, live gigs. Joining one is a must for getting paid what you're owed. Here are some key players:

  • ASCAP (USA) - The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Great for songwriters and publishers, with a focus on community and education.
  • BMI (USA) - Broadcast Music, Inc. Another top U.S. option, known for its broad network and support for emerging artists.
  • SESAC (USA) - A smaller, invite-only PRO with personalized service—ideal if you're building a niche career.
  • SAMRO (South Africa) - Southern African Music Rights Organisation. The go-to for South African creators to collect performance royalties locally and globally.

Quick Tip: Register with a PRO as soon as you've got songs out in the world—don't leave money on the table!

Music Publishing 101

Music publishing is the business of managing and monetizing the rights to a song’s composition—the melody, lyrics, and structure. It’s distinct from the recording (the “master”), which is typically handled by labels or artists. As a songwriter, understanding publishing ensures you get paid for your creative work when it’s used, whether on the radio, in a movie, or streamed online.

  • How It Works: When you write a song, you own its publishing rights. You can keep full control, sign with a publisher (like Gold Tea Productions), or enter a co-publishing deal. Publishers help by collecting royalties, pitching your music for opportunities, and protecting your rights legally.
  • Key Terms:
    • Publishing Splits: How royalties are divided among co-writers (e.g., 50/50 for two writers).
    • Administration Deal: A publisher collects royalties for you for a fee (usually 10-25%), but you keep ownership.
    • Co-Publishing Agreement: You share ownership with a publisher (e.g., 50/50), splitting profits while they handle the admin.

Quick Tip: Without a publishing plan, you could miss out on earnings or lose control of your work. Contact Gold Tea Productions to maximize your potential!

Copyright Basics

Your music is yours the moment you create it, but registering it with a copyright office (like the U.S. Copyright Office or South Africa's CIPC) gives you legal proof. It's cheap insurance—$35-$55 in the U.S., around R500 in SA—and protects you if someone steals your work.


Quick Tip: Keep records of your creation process (drafts, dates) as extra backup.

Digital Distribution Basics

Digital distribution is how you get your music onto platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. It’s the modern way to share your work and earn mechanical royalties from streams and downloads.

  • How to Get Started:
    • Choose a Distributor: Options like DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby upload your music for a fee.
    • Prepare Your Files: High-quality audio (e.g., 44.1kHz WAV) and artwork (e.g., 3000x3000px).
    • Add Metadata: Include ISRC codes, credits, and publishing info for royalty tracking.
    • Release: Your music goes live, and royalties flow through your distributor, PRO or publisher.

Quick Tip: Pair distribution with a PRO and Gold Tea’s publishing support to catch every penny you’re owed!


Music Business News


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Resources

Gain some Knowledge and download useful documents below:

Split Sheets

A split sheet is a simple document that outlines who contributed what to a song and how royalties will be divided. It’s essential when collaborating with other songwriters, producers, or artists to avoid disputes later.

  • Why You Need One: Imagine your song blows up, but you and your co-writer disagree on who gets what. A signed split sheet is your proof of ownership and royalty shares, critical for PRO registration and publishing deals.
  • How to Use It:
    • List all contributors (e.g., lyricists, composers).
    • Agree on percentages (e.g., 33% each for three writers).
    • Add the master owner for clarity and ease of licensing
    • Include song title, date, isrc (id you have it) and signatures.
    • Keep copies for your records.

Quick Tip: Download your split sheet template and fill it out with every collab—peace of mind is priceless!

Cover Versions

A cover version is when an artist records or performs a song originally written and recorded by someone else. Covers allow artists to reinterpret a song in their own style, often introducing it to new audiences. However, creating a cover involves understanding the legal and financial aspects to ensure the original songwriter and publisher are compensated.

  • How It Works: In most countries, you don’t need permission to record a cover of a song that’s already been released, thanks to compulsory licensing laws (e.g., in the U.S., under Section 115 of the Copyright Act). You must obtain a mechanical license to record and distribute the cover, paying a statutory royalty rate to the original songwriter and publisher for each copy sold or streamed. Most distributors can handle that for you.
  • Key Terms:
    • Mechanical License: A license that allows you to record and distribute a cover, typically obtained through a service like the Harry Fox Agency or directly from the publisher.
    • Statutory Rate: The royalty rate set by law (e.g., in the U.S., it’s about 9.1 cents per copy for songs under 5 minutes, as of 2025).
    • Performance Royalties: If your cover is performed publicly (e.g., on the radio or at a concert), the original songwriter earns performance royalties through their PRO (Performing Rights Organization, like ASCAP, BMI or SAMRO).

Quick Tip:Whilst we don't provide services for distribution, we love cover versions for licensing opportunities and in such cases we will handle the legalities for you. Just let us know who owns the master of your cover version by completing our Cover Version Master ownership split sheet

Guide to Licensing

Licensing is when you grant permission for your music to be used in projects like TV shows, films, video games, or commercials. It’s a lucrative way to earn sync royalties and gain exposure.

  • Most Important
    • Create Quality Music: High-quality recordings. clear ownership and complete meta data are key.
    • Complete Splits: We need to know all the players involved in the song from the writers and composers to the master owners.
    • Meta Data: Complete meta data, like lyrics and genre will increase your chances
    • Edits: Often the liscensee wants to make edits so have your mastered instrumentals and acappellas available

Quick Tip: If someone wants to license your music send them our request to License Music document and have them send the request to us

Using Samples or Doing Interpolations

Sampling involves taking a portion of an existing recording (the “master”) and incorporating it into a new song, while interpolation is when you re-record or re-perform a part of an existing song (e.g., a melody or lyric) without using the original recording. Both techniques are common in music production but require careful legal consideration to avoid copyright infringement.

  • How It Works: Sampling requires clearance for both the master recording (owned by the label or artist) and the underlying composition (owned by the songwriter/publisher). Interpolation only requires permission for the composition, since you’re not using the original recording. You’ll typically negotiate terms with the rights holders, which may involve paying a fee, sharing royalties, or giving songwriting credits (or all of these).
  • Key Terms:
    • Sample Clearance: The process of getting permission to use a sample, often involving a flat fee, a percentage of royalties (e.g., 20-50%), or co-ownership of the new song.
    • Interpolation Clearance: Permission to use the composition, usually negotiated with the publisher, often requiring a royalty split or credit to the original songwriter.
    • Master Use License: A license from the master owner (e.g., the label) to use the original recording in your sample.

Quick Tip: Gold Tea Productions can assist with clearance and rights management, but cannot guarantee clearance will be granted. Complete our Sample Request Form and we will assit you in getting clearance.