My Songwriter Friends Weren’t Getting Paid for Their Music. So I Created 3 Hats.

I never planned on starting a music publishing administration company.

The following comes from 3 Hats Music Publishing, a partner of DMN.

My name is Mateo Correa, born in the vibrant city of Medellin, Colombia. My parents immigrated with my siblings and me to the United States, where I eventually became a first-generation college graduate. I founded 3 Hats Music Publishing, an independent music publishing administration company built to help songwriters collect every dollar they’re owed. Since launching in 2022, 3 Hats has administered songs that have generated over 10 billion streams worldwide, achieved multiple RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications, and distributed over $1 million to songwriters. While building the company as a one-man operation, I also work full-time at a major music publisher based in Los Angeles.

Like a lot of people trying to break into the music industry, I originally wanted to work in A&R. I interviewed for multiple A&R positions early on in my career and got denied from every single one. At the time, it felt discouraging. Looking back now, it was probably the best thing that could’ve happened to me. God’s plan never fails. 

Because while I was chasing creative roles, I discovered something else entirely: I truly fell in love with the administration side of the music business. I became fascinated by the systems behind the scenes – registrations, metadata, royalty flows, spreadsheets, ownership conflicts, auditing, organization, and the operational work most people consider “boring.”

To me, that is the engine of the music business. I didn’t care to look cool or brag about knowing the biggest hit songwriters.  

The deeper I went into publishing administration, the more obsessed I became with understanding how money actually moves through the industry –  and how often songwriters are the ones left behind because of missing information, bad data, disputes, or outright fraud.

I started noticing that friends of mine – incredibly talented artists, producers, and writers – were generating millions of streams but still struggling to pay rent. Some had songs with major artists, yet had no idea whether they were even properly registered. Others had royalties sitting unclaimed for years simply because nobody was looking out for them.

That frustrated me deeply.

I couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore.

Before starting 3 Hats Music Publishing, I worked in sync & creative services at a major music publisher, then shortly after, I moved across the country from my beloved hometown, Lake Mary, Florida, to work with Josh Norek at his independent music publisher, Regalias Digitales, in the San Francisco Bay Area. These two experiences gave me my first real understanding of publishing administration, sync, royalty collection, creative services, registrations, and the operational side of the business that most songwriters never get to see. 

Eventually, I moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles to continue pursuing music publishing full-time. Today, I work at a major music publisher in digital mechanical registrations, where I’ve continued learning how publishing systems operate at the highest level while simultaneously building 3 Hats after hours, on weekends, and late into the night.

I started 3 Hats entirely on my own.

No investors. No giant team. No fancy office.

Just me.

Since launching in 2022, 3 Hats Music Publishing has administered catalogs responsible for over 10 billion streams worldwide. Have signed more than 30 songwriters, artists, producers, and bands, including Sticky Fingers, Jonathan Ballesteros, Ktlyn, Souly Had, Raf Saperra, Shumaq, The Buttertones, Baro Sura, Tom Cardy, Bandmanrill, 4Korners, among several others. We administer multiple RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum records and have distributed nearly $1 million USD to songwriters around the globe since inception.

What matters most to me isn’t the stream count or certifications. It’s the messages and testimonials from writers saying things like:

“My prayers were answered when Mateo entered into my life.”

Or: 

“Thank you again for what you do, and for being so on the ball with it all. I don’t know anyone that has been so regular with updates and actual paper work.” 

Or:

“Mateo has transcended just collecting my royalties. He’s been a good friend and great help in all things music industry, helping me with questions in every field.”

That means more to me than any plaque ever could.

The music industry does not need more people chasing clout. It needs more people willing to do the unglamorous work that protects songwriters behind the scenes.

That’s what 3 Hats was built for.

And we’re just getting started.