Taylor Scharg on Navigating the IP Gold Rush: Catalog Advisers Bring Humanity to Music’s Next Frontier

The music industry is in the midst of a profound financial reordering. Once valued for performance and radio play, songs are now treated as durable, revenue-yielding assets—capable of generating predictable cash flow through sync deals, streaming, and licensing. Major firms and private equity giants have noticed, flooding the market with capital in pursuit of catalog acquisitions, often at valuations that rival tech startups.

Catalogs as Cultural Memory

Yet behind the surge in deal volume lies a quieter truth: music catalogs are not mere balance sheet items—they are repositories of cultural memory, emotional labor, and generational legacy. For artists, deciding to sell is rarely just about the offer price; it’s about trust, intention, and clarity on what comes next.

This is where a new class of professionals has emerged—individuals who understand both the financial contours of a catalog deal and the emotional complexity of parting with one’s creative history. Among them is Tayler Scharg, a Miami-based hospitality operator turned catalog adviser, who brings a people-first methodology to a rapidly institutionalizing sector. His work reflects a broader need in the industry: to humanize the transaction process at a time when music IP is increasingly viewed as a monetizable commodity.

Tayler Scharg’s Method: Bridging Data and Emotion

Scharg’s approach is meticulous. When a new client—be it a legacy act, rights holder, or estate—enters the process, the first step is not valuation but alignment. Through strategic consultations, he and his team assess the artist’s goals: whether it’s a full sale, partial divestment, or readiness assessment. From there, they assemble the foundational materials: PRO statements, royalty histories, contracts, ownership splits—each piece contributing to a broader picture of value and opportunity.

However, what distinguishes Scharg is his ability to translate those technical inputs into something more nuanced. Drawing on his hospitality background, where details and emotion define experience, he guides clients through what is often an emotionally charged process. “Data organization” becomes a form of respect. Narrative construction becomes a tool of valuation. And the end goal isn’t just closing a deal—it’s articulating the meaning behind decades of work.

Preserving legacy and Redefining Value

Scharg also plays a central role in preparing catalogs for presentation to potential buyers, coordinating with legal and financial teams to shape positioning and messaging. He ensures the catalog isn’t treated as just an asset class, but as a legacy worth preserving—commercially and culturally.

As the IP landscape matures and catalog sales become increasingly common, it’s these softer skills—storytelling, discretion, and client trust—that define the best advisors. Scharg operates at that intersection. In an industry where speed and scale often dominate, his approach reminds artists that their catalogs are not just revenue streams—they are time capsules, and they deserve to be handled accordingly.