Contract templates

Intro

Below is a list of the kinds of contracts a musician might come across in his or her career.

Getting Started – band names, logo, website

Bands – band member sharing percentages worksheet

When forming a band, it’s good to go over all the questions below and come to a decision on all these issues.  Then, members should sign an agreement laying out all the terms so that in case of a dispute, a per-determined agreement would control.

• who owns/shares in the name, logo and service mark?
• right to be contract signatory (who signs for the band on all the contracts?)
• rights to writer royalties (who gets paid songwriting royalties? only band members involved in the writing of the song)
• rights to sound recordings (shared equally among all members)
• rights to accounting – all members usually have rights to view records and books
• rights to performance income – shared equally by all band members
• rights to merch income –  shared equally by all band members
• right to outside income (endorsements) – shared equally except where product endoresement is by one band member as an individual
• physical and hard assets of the band – owernership of equipment paid for by band is owned equally by the band. ownership of items purchased by individual band members – resides in just those who bought that property.
• right to expel a member – majority vote? how will you do it?
• ….  [see p.36 of Music Business Contract Library]

Solo artists

• working with venues and clubs [booking agreement]
• Hiring backing musicians – work for hire agreements

Contract templates

A collection of templates of the most common contracts and agreements you will come across as an independent musicians.

*DISCLAIMER: These contract templates are for educational purposes only. Always consult a lawyer before writing or signing a contract or other legal document.

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