7 Types of Paperwork You Should Know as a Musician

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1. Producer Agreements

• details what the producer will do, when, and for how much

• clarifies copyright ownership (both publishing and master rights)

2. Work for Hire Agreements or Copyright Transfer Agreements

• copyright law says that if someone contributes to your song or recording, they are a co-owner unless you say otherwise in writing

• a Work for Hire Agreement or Copyright Transfer Agreement is one way to retain full ownership of the copyright of your work

3. Management Agreements

• a manager can be a huge help, and it’s crucial to document the deal terms in writing (how long does the agreement last? what revenue is commissioned, and what revenue is NOT commissioned? is there a post-term commission clause?)

4. Recording Agreements

• clarifies what music it covers and for how long, as well as what the recording artist is paid and how the record company recoups

5. Publishing Agreements

• there are lots of revenue streams in publishing

• exclusive publishing deals, co-publishing deals, admin deals, single-song publishing deals—in any one of these, the details of the songwriter’s percentage is documented

6. Split Sheets

• this is a list of who owns what percentage of a song (the composition, aka publishing)

• it specifies the basics of ownership: name of song, names of owners/contributors, % owned by each person, Performing Rights Organization (PRO) info

7. Sample Licenses

- when using samples in music, getting sample clearances from the publisher and record label that control the sample is crucial to avoid infringement

Protect your work as an artist

Paperwork can get complicated, but it’s necessary to protect your work! Need help?

Disclaimer: This post is not intended to be legal advice.

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