| Ever been in a straight jacket? For your sake (as well | | | | read this far let's see if I can enlighten you a bit on |
| as mine) I hope not. Ever been trapped with no where | | | | some of the finer details of a music contract. |
| to turn? Well, this is what it will feel like if you're a | | | | Lets say you and your band write, sing, and record an |
| recording artist and you sign a music contract | | | | original record (this means the entire recording belongs |
| containing legal binding legalese you're not familiar with. | | | | to your band-though there are legal issues involved in |
| Too often many aspiring hip hop artist ignore the | | | | that but for now lets just leave it be.) Again, the entire |
| legal-side of their music careers. Most of their energy | | | | recording belongs to your band, this also goes for hip |
| is spent on the music creation-side of their music. | | | | hop artist. It's yours to freely giveaway, sell, duplicate, |
| Apart of me agrees with this ideology (maybe this | | | | replicate, or even chop up. |
| extra time spent creating music might produce a much | | | | Now lets say you record a 3-song demo (containing |
| more quality sound). But I can't ignore the legal-side of | | | | two original songs plus the other one we previously |
| a music career. It plays too much apart in big scheme | | | | mentioned above.) You end up receiving a recording |
| of things. | | | | contract with the demo you created. The demo |
| For years I worked in a high school. This work | | | | impressed them so much they've decided to place |
| experience gave me insight into what teenage fans | | | | those demo songs on your final master copy aka your |
| think about music and the artist. And how some of | | | | debut album. |
| them even aspired to become popular artist one day | | | | During the signing of your recording contract there |
| themselves. If time permitted or my job priorities didn't | | | | was a clause stating that all master sound recordings |
| interrupt many of them would give me an earful of | | | | done by you are exclusively owned by the record |
| everything they were looking to do to break it into the | | | | label in perpetuity. If you've signed that music contract |
| music business. From putting a full band together, | | | | containing that clause you've agreed to hand over all |
| making a hip hop mix tape CD, recording and writing | | | | of your rights to your music FOREVER. Do you know |
| songs--you name it these teenagers were doing it. | | | | how long is forever? Well, in case you've forgotten let |
| Why am I saying this? | | | | me tell you-- FOREVER! NEVER ENDING! Even after |
| BUT HERE'S THE SHOCKER! | | | | the world ends they still own your records. |
| But almost without fail as they were sharing with me | | | | So when your debut album goes platinum like they and |
| their aspiration for music I would ask the simple | | | | you hope it would they benefit greatly--two fold. The |
| question (What kind of music contract do you have | | | | initials sales of records sold once the record is first |
| with you're fellow band members? or Did you get a | | | | released. Then there's the "best of you albums" where |
| license to use that sample loop that's going on your | | | | all of your number one hits are complied into a single |
| mix tape CD?) That's when most of them would either | | | | album to be re-sold to the public again. And whoever |
| say (curiously) we need a contract between us or | | | | owns the master sound recording (in this case the |
| what in the hell is licensing? | | | | label does) the record label gets paid AGAIN--NOT |
| I'd usually give them the quick dumb-down kindergarten | | | | YOU! |
| explanation of the legal-side of music and with a sigh | | | | For this reason aspiring artist must do their due |
| of relief they say thanks I had no idea I needed to | | | | diligence as it relates to music contracts especially if |
| know. And we both then went on about our day. | | | | you are an artist who on a shoestring budget and |
| I'd walk away feeling a little concerned knowing my ten | | | | doesn't have a million dollar laying around to hire an |
| minutes explanation was no way near close enough to | | | | entertainment lawyer. Here's a great place to start. |
| covering the huge amounts of information involved in | | | | This book revolutionized my outlook of the music |
| the legal-side of the music business. | | | | business. Visit this website to check it out. |
| If you're an aspiring band, rap artist, singer, etc. If you've | | | | |