Music is life; music is soul. There is not a soul who denies its love for music. While people’s affinity towards different forms of music may be varied, the joy and excitement that music renders to an individual remains the same. Any musician who brings out the feel and sense of music out of any person is truly gifted. There is a great abundance of music writers and musicians with great talent in different genres of music. However, the bitter truth is that not every one of them gets the right opportunity to be in the music business, or to be able to sell there music while protecting it from piracy and innapropriate exploitation at the same time.
It is utterly essential that you or your client (if you are a lawyer) have an understanding of the various aspects and risks involved in buying a music contract online. Many a times a few words tossed here and there out of alignment and in the wrong order can change the meaning and make you vulnerable to be taken advantage of. Taking all into consideration, having a proper music contract is probably the most important tool for musicians to protect their copyrights, and those sweet tunes and notes they cherish the most.
If you are planning on buying music contracts for your music, or if you want to suggest it to your clients, here are a few tips that will help to choose the right one.
1. Talk to your lawyer
It is important that you talk to your attorney and see what kind of contract would suit your situation. There are a large variety of contracts for almost every type of music venture. Some are for song writers, music producers, record labels, publishers and so on. Each of them has their own sub types; they can be exclusive, non-exclusive contracts, for extended periods of time or for a particular songs for a couple of years only, etc. Therefore, it is essential to discuss with your legal representative as to what are the various types of contracts and which one you need to choose.
2. Don’t buy a contract that is outdated
It is as simple as it sounds, legislation and trends in the music industry vary rapidly; therefore make sure you use a contract that is aligned to what is current.
3. Check and make sure that the contract applies to your country/ province/ territory
This is called ‘jurisdicion’and ideally, this should be the place you reside so the contract is based on local laws and you can access the courts, should you need.
4. Make sure the contract has explanatory comments
If you are someone who doesn’t really understand music law, it would be best if you assure that the contracts are explained. This gives you a better understanding of the clauses and a firmer grip over the terms in it.
5. Make sure that your attorney has reviewed your contract before using it
The legal complications and implications are some of the matters that a lawyer will be very familiar with. He/she will be able to explain to you the intricate details about the various sections and clauses of a contract. Make sure you have your lawyer reading through the many details on your music contract before you actually sign the deal.
6. Make sure that the contract is editable
Ensure that it is given to you in a word document or other editable format so that you can edit the clauses to your requirement at a later date. Several companies provide music contracts to suit your many unique needs in an editable Microsoft Word version.
7. Make it a point to set percentages
Before finishing formalities, make sure that you decide how much percentage of the overall profit you must be receiving and that those percentages are within a standard used in the music industry. Most music companies have a set percentage for different levels and different genres of music. However, some may be open to discuss and negotiate.
These are just a few points to keep in mind before, while and after buying and signing a music contract, as the slightest mistake can cause the most dreaded consequences. So, make sure that you are careful about all parts of it, and also it is important to talk to your legal representative before making the plunge.
For better and safer solutions, it is recommended that you visit www.MusicLawContracts.com to find the contracts which suit you the best.
Image Credit: Tulane Sally