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Music
Contract Jargon by: Ty Cohen Seeing that you are a musician,
there is a good chance that you are not a lawyer as well.
This definitely puts you at a disadvantage when it comes
to reading, reviewing, understanding, agreeing to and
signing music
contracts. Music
business contracts can be complicated and confusing
if you are not trained with a legal background. Over the
next few minutes, we will review and define some of the
common jargon of music recording
contracts. The first phrase—the deal is obviously
the agreement you are making with the label. It will essentially
define what royalties you will be paid from the profit
of your music. Some recording
contracts may include a pay advancement. This allows
the artist to get the ball rolling. They can get new equipment,
new wardrobe, voice lessons, a car, a home, whatever you
desire to get you going. Keep in mind, this money has
to be paid back with future earnings, it is a loan not
a gift. Cross-recoupment or cross-collateralization is
the recovery of advances, costs or losses from other projects.
Exclusivity is a word you may run across quite a few times
in music
business contracts. This includes all of the things
that are exclusively owned by the record company. They
may want to own your present work, past work and future
work. They most likely will own your logo, website, all
merchandise, images and names. All of those things will
be exclusive to their company, understand? The territory
of your music
contracts is important and needs to be defined. Laws
and rules are different in every country and you need
to make sure you music and rights are protected world-wide,
ideally. As I mentioned before, different countries have
different laws about copyrights and things to that effect.
Just be sure the music business contract defines this.
How long is your contract for? This is referred to as
the term of the contract. Is it two years, seven year,
two albums, eight albums? It is crucial to define the
longevity of recording contracts as soon as possible.
recording
contracts can contain a great deal of jargon. You
may have to read over it several times or consult the
help of someone who know what they are doing. Make sure
you understand copyrights, publishing deals, recording
agreements, promotion terms, and all the other ins and
outs of your music
contracts before you sign. If you must, consult the
help of a trusted friend in the industry or maybe a lawyer
if you have the extra dough. About the Author: Ty Cohen,
the online music industry's most recognizable voice is
the former owner of a successful independent record label,
current owner of Platinum Millennium publishing and nation-wide
music industry seminar speaker and panelist. He is also
the author and creator of over 40 best-selling music business
books, reports, courses, audio products and other music
industry "How to" resources, that have helped tens of
thousands of individuals like you to successfully find
their way in the music business. Visit
for more information on Music Contracts, Recording Contracts
and Music Business Contracts. |
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