I’ve seen some artists sign some fucked up contacts in my day. Whether it was with a record company, management, or production company. These contracts were almost always signed without a lawyer involved. Most of the time artists only seek counsel when they’re trying to get out of a bad agreement. Bad agreements can stagnate and ruin any chances you have of living out your dream of having a career in music. Music attorney Ed Fair in this video clip expresses the importance of knowing when seek legal help.
In this video clip, Michele Singer, Director of Legal and Business Affairs for jazz and classical, breaks down some of the finer points of the recoupment process between artists and their labels.
Young Guru, a well established producer in the music business, gives you the straight talk about corporations, major labels, and how artists enslave themselves by signing record contracts. This video is filled with gems and should be encouragement for every independent hip hop artist on the path to building their own business.
Lance Grode teaches Legal Issues in the Music Business at USC Law. In this video he expresses the need for labels to adapt to remain sustainable. Good info if you’re running an indie label as well.
The information about publishing is not the most valuable treasure of this video clip. It’s Phil’s will to grind and create an opportunity for himself when the climate of the music business was changing.
Peter Shukat, an entertainment lawyer with Shukat, Arrow, Hafer, Weber & Herbsman in New York City, discusses key issues in a recording contract such as the amount of product the label agrees to give and what kind of advance/royalty is going to be paid. He also covers the restrictions and limitations an artist can put on a record company and the mechanical royalty clause.
In this video, Janet Kleinbaum, Senior VP of Artist Marketing and Video Production for Jive Records, gives some sound advice for entering the music business. Some of the points she makes in this video could apply to any business you decide to enter into.
Jay Cooper, a music lawyer based in Los Angeles breaks down the importance of educating yourself about the music business and cites some examples on how that can greatly benefit how you get paid.
The formula for success in this game right now is simple. Your following is your value. Period. Creating income streams from that influence then becomes just a matter of creating partnerships with other businesses or developing a business plan of your own.
Whether you know it or not, you are a business, And you can diversify your income in a number of Read the rest of this entry »
Dina LaPolt, an entertainment lawyer based in Los Angeles, CA, reveals what aspects of a record deal are worth fighting for, and how to tell when your relationship with your label is about to hit the skids.
This article was written back in January at the turn of the decade. I just recently discovered it. It’s a MUST READ for every hip hop artist!
The Ever-Changing Rap Music Business By, Wendy Day (www.WendyDay.com)
2009 marked the end of a decade and there were many changes that occurred in the music business. When Don Diva called and asked me to write about the changes I’ve seen over the last 10 years, I started writing this before I even got off the phone. It’s easy to write about something you live and are passionate about. In fact, it almost wrote itself. I’ve been in the music industry for almost 20 years now (March 2010 marks the beginning of my 19th year) and there are very few people left who started back when I did or who’ve been in it as long as I have. I chalk that up to the continual changes and to insanity—ya gotta be a little nuts to stay in this industry any length of time. Especially the folks like me who do this for the love, and not solely for the money!
Since The Dawn Of Hip Hop Before I talk about the changes over the past decade, there are two changes that have occurred over the past two decades Read the rest of this entry »
