Why Every Musician Should Understand SoundExchange
In the past year, the one topic that I think I’ve discussed with my clients more than anything else: SoundExchange. Particularly, how much SoundExchange revenues are being paid out and/or missed by artists and producers. In today’s music business, every musician and producer needs to understand and collect all the various streams of revenue […]
Does TikTok Pay Musicians?
Does TikTok Pay Musicians The short answer: Yes. The long answer: Very little for most users. Let’s examine why. If TikTok Pays Musicians? How Does TikTok Pay You? Your music will generate royalties from both the master recording and the songwriting (publishing), as it does with any usage. If you are a member of a […]
TikTok For Musicians: What You Need to Know
One of the biggest developments in the music industry in 2020 was TikTok. While the app was definitely big in 2018 and 2019, it truly blew up in 2020, surpassing over 1 billion users across 150 countries and establishing itself as a bellwether in the music industry. Many of the biggest success stories in the […]
The 2 Copyrights in a Song (And How To Make More Money From Them)
Many artists I work with have a tough time understanding the different copyrights in a song. The revenue streams that flow from them. I don’t blame them. Our copyright system has developed in bits and pieces over decades, so there are layers of complexity at play here. In every recorded song there exists two main […]
Producer Royalties: How Should Your Producer Be Paid?
For some reason, the last week has seen me drafting or negotiating a ton of agreements between Artist and Producer, outlining what percentage of record sales the former will pay the latter.
SoundExchange Royalties: How Much Should You Pay Your Producer?
In recent years, one of the questions that I’ve been asked most by my artist clients is: how much of my SoundExchange royalties should I give my producer? As we examined in my article here, it is industry standard for music producers to be paid a percentage of an artist’s record sales (known as […]
What is a Band Agreement and Do You Need One?
A Band Agreement is likely the most important agreement you can sign in a band. I say this based on my years as both an entertainment lawyer and a band member. It costs relatively little, and could save you thousands upon thousands of dollars (and a great deal of headache) years down the road. […]
Are Tribute Acts Actually Legal?
Every time I open the newspaper and peruse the local gig listings in my city, I’m struck by something: tribute acts are in high demand! More often than not, there are more tribute acts on the calendar than original acts. And based on the ticket prices to some of these shows, tribute acts are big […]
5 Things to Look for in a Record Deal
After years of hard work, you just landed your first record deal. Amazing. Now the record label sends over the contract and it’s thirty pages long. Yikes. Here are the main points to look for in a record deal and what to avoid. 1) How Long is the Term? This is a good starting […]