Some record labels say they’re nonprofit.

Which immediately raises the obvious question: nonprofit for who?

This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa tumble down a particularly sketchy rabbit hole after discovering that their former band — Toadies — once signed to a “nonprofit” record label. A nonprofit… record label. Because nothing says charity like royalty statements that look like ransom notes.

Were these labels truly benevolent music charities helping artists thrive?

Or were they just the same old music industry wolves… wearing thrift-store sheep costumes and holding IRS paperwork?

Charles digs into the mysterious world of nonprofit labels — where money allegedly vanishes into “administrative costs,” “artistic development,” and possibly a suspicious amount of craft beer and vintage analog compressors.
Lisa asks the harder questions:

• If a record label is nonprofit… why does the CEO drive a Tesla?
• Why do the bands still end up broke?
• And is “artist support” just a nicer phrase for creative tax shelter?

Expect nonprofit loopholes, shady music-industry math, and the uncomfortable realization that sometimes the biggest charity in the room… is the band donating their labor.

Because in the music business, the only thing more dangerous than a crooked record label…
…is one claiming to be doing it for the good of humanity.

Welcome to Jackalope Tales — where the legends are strange, the stories are darker than a club bathroom at closing time, and tonight we ask the question:

Is it nonprofit… or just another Jackalope? [Ep 129]

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Produced by: Charles Mooney
Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney