Cheryl M. Potts
FOUNDER of
Cleerkut & Crystal Clear Music
Founder
Cheryl M. Potts is the founder of Cleerkut, a music rights software development firm focused on creating innovative technology solutions for the global independent music sector. She is also the founder of Crystal Clear Music, a specialized music rights administration company that provides comprehensive services to independent record labels, songwriters, and music publishers. In addition to her leadership roles, Ms. Potts serves as an instructor at Learn-MusicBusiness.com, where she offers professional education in music industry rights management. Visit our websites by clicking below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
About
Cheryl Potts – Music Rights Executive & Founder, Cleerkut & Crystal Clear MusicCheryl Potts is a music rights executive and founder whose deep expertise was built through two decades of hands-on experience across every facet of rights administration. From music clearances and royalty accounting to performance rights registration and licensing, she developed a comprehensive, working knowledge of the business by doing the work herself—building her first company from the ground up and mastering each role along the way.Cheryl launched her music rights career in 2004 with the founding of Crystal Clear Music, an independent boutique publishing company that soon evolved into a full-service administration firm supporting record labels and music publishers. Her early career was shaped not only by entrepreneurial grit, but also by legal insight—when she asked a UNC Chapel Hill law professor to mentor her, she instead invited her to audit her copyright law class alongside her law students, which she enthusiastically accepted.After relocating to the Washington, D.C. area, Cheryl combined her background in software engineering experience to found Cleerkut, Inc., initially to explore government contracting opportunities for certified women- and minority-owned businesses. But the demand for her music rights expertise never stopped. Clients continued to call, seeking her help with royalty accounting, publishing administration, and music licensing. Eventually, she embraced what had become clear: her true passion was helping music creators protect and monetize their rights.That passion took her all the way to the U.S. Copyright Office. When it announced a music licensing study with input from major record labels, publishers, and PROs, Cheryl saw the need for an independent voice at the table. She was honored when her request to participate was accepted and her comments were included in the final report—one that laid the groundwork for the Music Modernization Act of 2018.In 2022, Cheryl was elected Secretary of the Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP), where she continues to serve as an officer, advocating for independent rights holders and helping shape best practices in music publishing.Frustrated by the inefficiency of traditional royalty accounting tools, Cheryl set out to automate her music administrative processes. That vision evolved into Cleerkut Royalty, a cloud-based platform that streamlines royalty reporting, music licensing, performance rights registration, catalog management, and more. She led the entire development process—from designing the solution to hiring developers and overseeing project management.Today, Cleerkut Royalty empowers record labels, music publishers, administrators, and creators with modern tools and expert-driven services to manage and protect their music rights more effectively and transparently.
Contact
Follow Ms. Potts on the following social media sites and download her bio for more details.