Guest musicians

[davidnadal]

Can I hire/use a singer in one of my submissions? Does that person also need to be a Taxi member?

[kregdurant]

I'd delete this one and post it into the "Biz" section, but as long as you have credit, permission to pitch, and control the masters, from my understanding at least, you are fine. When hiring a session musician you'll want a "work for hire" agreement drafted up, and when cowriting youll need a "split sheet" you can use the search function (inside the menu to the left of "Forums" in yellow bar at the top of the page) to search for those topics.
I'm still novice so i'd try to find a better authority for this, before you continue, but i'm 90% sure that is the case. Alot of the members here pitch songs they cowrote with non taxi members, and hire session musicians/singers. All the time, but just to C.Y.A. I'd repost this in biz, seems to be the most active forum with the majority of the big movers answering questions.

[Casey H]

Hi David
As said in the post above this, your "guest" musician does not have to be a Taxi member. You just have to make sure they sign a work for hire agreement that indicates they performed for a fee, you maintain all rights to the master and composition, and they are not entitled to any future payments or royalties (paraphrasing). A number of members here have templates for this type of agreement as it's pretty common.

Best,
Casey

[Rockinpop]

Hi David
As said in the post above this, your "guest" musician does not have to be a Taxi member. You just have to make sure they sign a work for hire agreement that indicates they performed for a fee, you maintain all rights to the master and composition, and they are not entitled to any future payments or royalties (paraphrasing). A number of members here have templates for this type of agreement as it's pretty common.

Best,
Casey

HI Casey,

Question about Work For Hire Forms:

If collaborating with others who are willing to send me tracks and also willing to use tracks I send, can we each sign ONE "Work For Hire" agreement to work for "$ 0.00" ...and add a phrase "for all future collaborations? This would save a lot of time on paperwork for every track sent. I realize we'd need to find people who have different talents, but the same interests.

Also: What is the best way to work with multiple songwriters or performers in a workshop type group, virtually?

Thanks in advance,
Ron

[Casey H]

Hi David
As said in the post above this, your "guest" musician does not have to be a Taxi member. You just have to make sure they sign a work for hire agreement that indicates they performed for a fee, you maintain all rights to the master and composition, and they are not entitled to any future payments or royalties (paraphrasing). A number of members here have templates for this type of agreement as it's pretty common.

Best,
Casey

HI Casey,

Question about Work For Hire Forms:

If collaborating with others who are willing to send me tracks and also willing to use tracks I send, can we each sign ONE "Work For Hire" agreement to work for "$ 0.00" ...and add a phrase "for all future collaborations? This would save a lot of time on paperwork for every track sent. I realize we'd need to find people who have different talents, but the same interests.

Also: What is the best way to work with multiple songwriters or performers in a workshop type group, virtually?

Thanks in advance,
Ron

Not a lawyer but my answer would be a definite NO! on "for all future collaborations". You could list a group of titles on one agreement. The agreement has to reference the specific composition/recording(s) for which they are giving up all rights to or it's worthless. If you are paying $0, are these folks getting a co-write share? If so, you do not need WFH agreements as that's only for non owners. When you submit the track or register it, just make sure your co-writers are listed along with the split percentages. Also, see below. (PS If they are getting $0 and no share, what's in it for them?)

For multiple songwriters, a collaboration agreement is recommended. It would detail everyone and their splits of composition and master ownership. It also set guidelines as to who can pitch the song, sign for the song, etc.

HTH
Casey

[AlanHall]

Work For Hire...collaborations

Two completely different business propositions. It's either one or the other, not both.

Also a bad business model to make things easier on you and harder for the library. For what, to save 5 minutes on printing and signing an agreement? I'm not a lawyer, but it seems iffy at best. Also, a WFH form 'in perpetuity, for any work done' is one I'd never sign...

Hope that helps.

edit: I see Casey beat me to it

[Rockinpop]

I find it tough paying someone for work when a song may never go anywhere. I'd much rather swap track for track, until I find the right person.
I agree that on-going is ridiculous,..but for a few songs, it might be a good test to see if we are compatible. Once we agree it will work, use an agreement to co-write with percentages.
Tried with non Taxi friends, but they aren't as dedicated.
Are there forms that can be signed electrically, without printing...signing...scanning and resending?

Thanks for your comments.
Ron

[Casey H]

I find it tough paying someone for work when a song may never go anywhere. I'd much rather swap track for track, until I find the right person.
I agree that on-going is ridiculous,..but for a few songs, it might be a good test to see if we are compatible. Once we agree it will work, use an agreement to co-write with percentages.
Tried with non Taxi friends, but they aren't as dedicated.
Are there forms that can be signed electrically, without printing...signing...scanning and resending?

Thanks for your comments.
Ron

Any agreement can be electronically signed using programs like DocuSign, RightSignature, and others. I do all of mine that way and never have any issues. Above my pay grade not being a lawyer but I've heard that on a no payment contract, you should use $1, not $0. You'd have to ask a lawyer but there might be something called "consideration" whereby the other party has to receive SOMETHING to make it valid. Anyway, it can't hurt to write it as $1.

I'm not sure if you meant that you would try "on-going" at first but it really is a bad idea. The world is littered with horror stories whereby people needed to go back to WFH musicians after the fact for an agreement and either they can't locate them or the person no longer wants to sign. Do it right the first time. It isn't THAT much paperwork.

Best
Casey

[Rockinpop]

I find it tough paying someone for work when a song may never go anywhere. I'd much rather swap track for track, until I find the right person.
I agree that on-going is ridiculous,..but for a few songs, it might be a good test to see if we are compatible. Once we agree it will work, use an agreement to co-write with percentages.
Tried with non Taxi friends, but they aren't as dedicated.
Are there forms that can be signed electrically, without printing...signing...scanning and resending?

Thanks for your comments.
Ron

Any agreement can be electronically signed using programs like DocuSign, RightSignature, and others. I do all of mine that way and never have any issues. Above my pay grade not being a lawyer but I've heard that on a no payment contract, you should use $1, not $0. You'd have to ask a lawyer but there might be something called "consideration" whereby the other party has to receive SOMETHING to make it valid. Anyway, it can't hurt to write it as $1.

I'm not sure if you meant that you would try "on-going" at first but it really is a bad idea. The world is littered with horror stories whereby people needed to go back to WFH musicians after the fact for an agreement and either they can't locate them or the person no longer wants to sign. Do it right the first time. It isn't THAT much paperwork.

Best
Casey

Casey,
That sounds like solid, great advice. Hope to meet you at the RR.
Ron

[cosmicdolphin]

Tried with non Taxi friends, but they aren't as dedicated.

100% this - they will flake on you, cause you to miss deadlines and not want to join a PRO or sign anything official.