by Francesca | Feb 15, 2024 | Music Industry, Music Marketing
Want to learn how to build a fanbase and improve your skills as an artist from one of the best in the business? Musician’s Fanbase Growth Workshop offers all of that in their weekly Wednesday workshop. Here’s how to secure your spot for free.
Reserve Your Spot for Modern Musician’s Fanbase Growth Workshop
Here’s the rundown…
Founder of Modern Musician and host of the Modern Musician Podcast, Michael Walker is hosting an in-depth “fanbase growth workshop” for artists who are ready to level up their music career, and thrive during these challenging times. In this workshop, he’s revealing some of their best techniques that are usually reserved for his $5000+ clients at Modern Musician. This is the first time he’s given away this information for free, and you don’t want to miss out on the valuable insights he has to offer.
“How do I get involved?”
Every Wednesday @ 3PM ET, they offer LIVE training in 3 main topics:
- Artistic Identity: Hone in your music brand to give you clarity about who you are as an artist, so you can attract the best-fit audience who will love your music.
- Thriving Fanbase: Set up your marketing so we can build your loyal fanbase based on your artistic identity and your strengths.
- Revenue Multiplier: Create an automatic monetization system to fund your artist lifestyle so you don’t sacrifice your talent or lose touch with your musical identity.
If you’re interested in tuning in, click this link to register in one-click:
Reserve Your Seat – Fanbase Growth Workshop
Once you’ve done that, you’ll receive a “welcome pack” with all the resources needed to take part in this special, one-time event.
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Want to learn more?
In addition, you may have also heard about the Gold Artist Academy, Modern Musician’s flagship mentoring program. This program is a great resource for artists who are ready to truly commit and step up their game.
- Learn more about the program, plus testimonials and additional details, right here.
See you there!
by Francesca | Jan 25, 2024 | Legal
This information is brought to you by Debbie Egel, an attorney whose practice includes writing and reviewing music contracts, running an independent label for over 10 years; and developing indie artists. She is knowledgeable of the economics of music, the DIY process, and has written an instruction manual for Indie artists, labels and managers called “For The Record” and teaches an on-line course. Debbie has a deep appreciation of the business of music as well as her legal knowledge as a practicing attorney. We are sharing it with you here to give you a sense of some of the decisions and complexities involved in these questions. Streaming Promotions does not provide legal or tax advice. You should consult with your personal legal and tax professionals regarding your specific situation before making any decisions.
When it comes to major record deals, there are a lot of things to consider. That’s why it’s important to always get a second, or even third, set of eyes on anything that requires a signature and involves your finances. Here’s what to look for before you dive in…
How to Know if Signing a Recording Contract Is Right For You
You LOVE music, and you have been working hard, creating and recording music. You’re also keeping up a social media presence, getting gigs, taking photos and posting, getting your look right, releasing and marketing music and the list goes on and on. Now you figure it must be working because someone has reached out and is speaking to you about signing a record deal.
While many artists view a record deal as the solution to their problems, look before you leap.
Record labels can be great opportunities to get your music in front of an audience and help you build fans. Labels can provide support in terms of production, marketing, legal knowledge and access to experienced industry vets. It takes a village and no one can do this alone. However, you should be careful, thoughtful, and selective before you sign on the dotted line.
The contract will be defined as binding you for a period of years or a number of singles or albums that have to be delivered to fulfill the agreement. The contract is like signing a marriage license. It is basically a relationship, and it is important to date before you get married. So how do you know if a record deal is the right move for you? First and foremost…
Do Your Homework
Artists should be paying attention to these items:
- What is the label’s track record with your genre?
- Do they have a website?
- Do they have artists that have been signed fared well?
- Is there already an act signed that sounds similar to you?
- What can this label do for you that you can’t currently do on your own?
- Have they listened to your music? What do they have to say about it?
- Have you spoken to them and what is their plan for you moving forward?
- What type of assets can they provide such as production, marketing, finances etc.?
- How long does the contract bind you?
- Has the company asked you about split sheets, production agreements for your current music.
- Philosophically, do both parties to the agreement have the same vision for the music?
If the relationship is a failure, it can often mean the ruin of an artistic career. So be careful!
What do labels look for?
Truth be told, artists working independently can only get so far before needing a bigger team. Labels can be that team, helping you increase your reach and overall success. However, this costs money.
Like any successful business, if you need a large injection of money in order to get to the next level, you must be able to recover that investment. With record sales declining and streaming income at an all time low, record companies need better ways to secure their investment. For example, like a 360° contract, which is used to potentially make a profit from their investment.
How have you built your fanbase? Are they buying your projects? Look at it like this: if you’ve been pumping out nothing but free albums, do you really anticipate them buying your major label debut if you haven’t put any value on your music beforehand?
What else do they consider?
Labels also typically consider physical attendance at your shows and whether you can sell units or derive money from streaming. They also look at your other income streams, like merch and touring.
Remember, both sides have to benefit or else the relationship is not going to be successful.
What you should know at the table…
Contract terms depend on the bargaining power of the artist. A new artist with no real history of earnings will not get the same terms as an artist with a proven record of strong earnings.
These terms can include:
- Royalty rates
- The number of songs to be delivered
- What costs the record company will pay for
- The amount of money the record company will spend on social media campaigns
- What type of music production support they can provide
- Whether the record company will also participate in the money earned from music publishing, merchandising and live performances.
If you have confidently answered these questions and are willing to give up a percentage of your earnings, it’s time to contact an attorney to review the deal.
From a legal standpoint, a contract that is well written and contains clear and unambiguous deal terms is off to a good start. Just make sure to use an entertainment attorney that understands these terms and can fight for you during contract negotiations.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Think twice about using an attorney the label directs you to!
In Conclusion…
It is important to point out again that team work makes the dream work. The progression in an artist’s professional career is to attract a label that provides all the necessary elements to get you to the next level. Having said all this, focus on making the best music you can and building your fan base. It all begins and ends with GREAT music. If you’re making waves, labels will come to you, and that’s a much better position to be in anyway.
by Francesca | Dec 20, 2023 | Legal
The legal aspects of this industry aren’t always so straightforward. That’s why we place the utmost importance on providing as much information as we can to help you navigate through it with ease. There are many different types of contracts artists and labels will encounter throughout their careers, so let’s break it down a bit. In this post, you’ll learn about 6 major types of record label contracts you should definitely know about. Let’s dive in…
6 Types Of Record Label Contracts
Exclusive Recording Contract
The exclusivity of this contract applies to both the Artist (as a recording and performing musician) and to the songs written by the Artist during the term of the agreement. An additional number of songs written prior to the term are also assigned in the agreement. The exclusivity in respect to the Artist applies for the length of the agreement and in respect to the songs for the life of copyright (unless otherwise agreed).
- This one is a useful agreement for a label looking to engage an artist exclusively for a number of years, both as a performer and in relation to his/her songs.
Music Distribution Contract
With this agreement, the owner of master recordings grants an exclusive right to distribute ‘records’ embodied in any format (compact discs, phonograph records, audio cassette tapes, digital audio tapes, DVD, etc) for a certain period of time (the Term) and in certain countries (The Territory).
Non-Exclusive Recording Contract
A Non-Exclusive Recording Contract is an agreement under which copyright on certain recordings is assigned (from Artist to Label), but the Artist is not engaged exclusively by the Label as a recording and performing musician.
Therefore, the Artist is able to free to assign copyrights not covered in this agreement to other labels.
- This type of contract is a flexible contract for a label looking to license particular recordings but do not wish to tie up an artist exclusively for a number of years or for a number of releases.
- It can be used as a trial agreement before moving on to an exclusive recording type of arrangement.
360 Deal Recording Contract
A 360 Deal Recording Contract is an agreement which sets out the conditions in which a music company engages an artist with respect to his/her/their services as a recording artist, songwriter, composer/arranger of music and actor/actress (for film, TV and Theatre).
It also grants the music company merchandise, sponsorship and endorsements rights for the use of the artist’s names, likenesses, and related Intellectual Property. In addition, it’s important to note that 360-type deals have come around as the recording labels response to three major trends in the music industry in recent years:
- The steady decline of revenue from record sales
- The increase in prices of tickets to live events and fan expenditure on merchandise and
- The strengthening of the capabilities of the collecting societies and publishers getting better at their roles which translates in income from public performance and synchronisation becoming more and more significant.
Music Composition and Recording Service Contract
A Music Composition and Recording Service Contract is an agreement under which an artist is engaged by a company to compose, arrange, record and produce a piece of music to be used in the company’s own production (TV, Film, Video Game, etc).
With this, the artist receives a full and final fee as remuneration for the services provided and all copyrights are transferred to the company and moral rights waived. However, the artist remains entitled to his/her writer’s share of public performance royalties received directly from his/her performance right society (PRS, BMI, ASCAP, GEMMA, etc).
- Company gets granted a license to use the artist’s name, likeness, voice and biographical data in relation to the company’s production and artist promises that the music delivered to the company does not infringe any third parties’ copyright.
- This contract is useful for companies looking to commission both recordings and compositions from an artist for use in TV, films, etc.
Recording and Publishing Agreement On Certain Recordings
A Recording and Publishing Agreement On Certain Recordings is a type of agreement under which an Artist assigns both recording and publishing rights to a label in exchange for an advance, royalties and a commitment from the label to fund and release the recordings and procure synchronization and/or performance license for the compositions.
- Recording rights are assigned for the length of copyright (50 years after release) and Publishing rights for a rights period of fifteen (15) years.
- The label will have six (6) months from delivery of the songs to procure a release of the recordings and performance and/or synchronization usages for the Compositions.
- This type of agreement is especially useful for labels looking to acquire both recording and publishing rights from artist for particular songs using one agreement.
by Francesca | Dec 13, 2023 | Legal, Music Industry
As the years go by, creators have more and more freedom over how they want to distribute their music and with whom. Whether you’ve signed a record label deal, you’ve hired a publisher or you work with an independent distributor like Symphonic, it’s important to understand what you’re entitled to as an artist. Look no further, we’re here to break it down. Here’s what you need to know…
Is My Record Label Also My Publisher?
Let’s Talk Record Labels…
A record label is the entity responsible for releasing your master recordings to the public on retailers, streaming services, radio, etc.. Major parts of a record label’s work involve promotion, marketing your music, landing sync placements and more. In addition, major labels often pay out advances to cover the recording costs for the album or single in addition to paying to produce physical releases like CDs or LPs.
(Contrary to popular belief, an advance is NOT free money. — Learn the truth about advances here.)
Think of it like this: A record label is to master recordings what a publisher is to musical compositions.
It’s actually not uncommon for some record labels, especially the majors, to launch publishing divisions in order to exercise more control over the music they release. By acquiring administration rights for the musical compositions (as well as whole or partial ownership), they are able to exploit compositions for licensing opportunities, register songs, collect all publishing-related royalties, etc.
(For example, think Warner Chappell Music; the publishing division of Warner Music Group, or Universal Music Publishing Group; the division of Universal Music Group.)
Publishers
While a record label is only responsible for the recordings songs that they control, a publisher is responsible for the underlying music composition itself, which includes covers by other artists that may have been released to physical or streaming formats.
Music publishers handle the administration of musical compositions. They collect royalties and licensing fees, seek out sync deals for TV and film, register copyrights, negotiate licenses, and more. Similarly to labels, publishers can also involve advances within their publishing deals. Typical publishing deals can include administration only deals, full publishing deals, or co-publishing deals.
Publishing Royalties
The two most common music publishing royalty types, central to any independent songwriter’s income, are performance royalties and mechanical royalties.
So, is my record label my publisher or not?
Short answer is, maybe.
Your record label is not always your Publisher, unless the record label:
- establishes itself as the publisher of your songs in your label contract,
- registers your songs in royalty collection societies, and
- collects the publishing royalties and distributes them to you.
If your record label claims to be the publisher but you have never received any publishing royalties (performance, mechanical, etc.) from your label or from your chosen PRO, then it’s time to confront your record label about this issue and get some clarity.
In Conclusion…
We hope this post has made the relationship between record labels and publishing a little easier to digest. With each service, you get different benefits as an artist. Depending on what you need, one path may be more beneficial than the other. — Regardless of what you choose, you are rightfully owed royalties for your published work. It’s important you understand what you’re owed and how to get it. Otherwise, you may be missing out on hard earned royalties and opportunities. Don’t just sit back and let corporate entities take control of your life. Get involved, do your research, and work with a team that has your back.
Good luck!
