Most professional musicians have little time to address their careers’ administrative aspects. This neglect can lead to lost opportunities and income or compromise a musician’s industry relationships. Music career attorneys can perform the following roles for anyone whose career is starting to take off.
Negotiation of Record Deal Contracts
The right record label can jumpstart or advance a musician’s artistic career; however, the terms of a recording contract can define financial success for the near and far term. An experienced attorney’s services are crucial for musicians potentially on the cusp of stardom or ones whose oeuvre remains relevant beyond their lifetimes. For example, attorney John Branca negotiated the Thriller Album’s financial terms, which ultimately cemented ongoing financial gains for Michael Jackson’s estate.
Enforcement of Copyrights
Musicians who write and perform their own or other musicians’ work must abide by copyright laws. Copyrights address various circumstances, including:
- Who may perform a work
- A work’s licensing terms
- Performance exclusivity
- A work’s distribution
Music career attorneys are the best resources for managing requests to use musicians’ work. They ensure their clients’ appropriate attribution and financial reimbursement. For instance, attorney John Branca famously helped Don Henley of the Eagles regain copyrights and royalties lost due to what many musicians consider to be allowable infringements under antiquated provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.
Negotiation of Manger Fees
Many musicians leave performance or commission fees up to their managers, but the terms between themselves and their managers are also critical to their success. Creating a mutually beneficial contract can prevent misunderstandings and hold a manager accountable to a musician client. A seasoned music attorney has experience creating management contracts that address service terms at various stages of their clients’ careers. They know how to establish the necessary parameters for a manager’s reimbursement and establish clauses for renewing or canceling management contracts fairly while protecting their clients’ interests.
Creation of Collaboration Contracts
When musicians collaborate to produce a work, it is essential to create a contract defining each person’s role in the project and how to split expenses, income, artistic decision-making power and credits. Without a clear understanding and agreement in writing signed by everyone involved in a project, individuals working together might disagree about their financial and artistic roles and obligations to the project. Hiring a music attorney to review and suggest the terms of a collaboration contract protects the musicians’ interests and prevents potential relationship damage.
Once a musician’s career starts to take off, a music attorney’s services can be indispensable.
