WARNING! Newbie Contract question!

[sgs4u]

I forgot about that! Consider it done my friend. But how else could the guy learn? Maybe we could set up a "this message will self-destruct" in 24 hours thing... Aug 12, 2008, 10:21am, hurowitz wrote:Aug 12, 2008, 10:07am, sgs4u wrote:Write more songs. If these guys liked those 6, then there are other that will like your music as well!The only thing you need to worry about is that your own fear will cause you to be so suspicious that you pass up an opportunity. You are not an easy target. IMHO, the job that publishers and music supervisors do seems to me much more delicate, and scarey. Maybe that's just me, tho. Casey, this bit of contract language on the forum can't be a problem, unless the big guy says delete it. The only thing I would be concerned about is that what our new friend has posted, might not be the whole picture. I know this matters to you, but it's also important to me. Hi Steve There is no official rule against posting that... well, maybe-- since it is someone else's intellectual property (same as copyright)... Most of who have been around for a while (matto, myself, Dave, etc) try to discourage people from posting exact language. I'm more concerned about protecting the person who posted it than anything else.... If I had offered you a contract and then found it posted on a message board, I'd probably withdraw my offer. It's private and if someone didn't respect that I might not want to work with them. I can't say all music library folks would feel that way, but I'll bet some would.My request for you to remove the specific wording was just that- a request. Not my call... Casey

[stoney]

Points mentioned above are really valid and I would consider the advice carefully.Martin's point on the % front is really worth considering 75% seems a lot to lose to me and (as mentioned) 50% is often standard, although deals for mechanicals and royalties can vary from one end of the scale to the other. Do you have a separate clause for your performance royalties? For a 6 track deal I would strongly advise you seek the advice of a lawyer in long run he/she may save you a lot of hassle and maybe even be able to make YOU more money.Darren

[mazz]

I'm gonna say that the 75% split isn't bad considering the usually pretty low upfront licensing fees that are being paid these days. The company in question might be saying (as one I know of does) (paraphrasing again): "We're the ones out there putting your music in front of the potential clients and the back end is usually where the money is, anyway, so the licensing fee is kind of like a one time commission".Chances are that if you got this deal, your music is good enough to get more deals with this and other libraries. The point is to have your music spread out in a lot of places so this probably won't be the only library you'll ever be associated with. If you can write a lot of music then you'll have more chances to make money in the long haul, which is where the money is, not in the short haul, necessarily (licensing fees). There are some gigs that pay a lot up front but those may be one-shot deals with no back end (in-house corporate, etc.).I strongly suggest that you buy all the music business books you can afford and absorb them just like you know your major and minor scales and make friends with an entertainment attorney. If you live in California there's California Lawyers for the Arts, which offers low to no cost legal advice for a very low yearly membership, a good deal. Other states may have similar programs.Good luck and congrats on the deal.Mazz

[seanhenry]

Thanks so much to everyone for there help and advice, Going into these kinda things blind is a bit daunting, I think this is a classic case of me not wanting to look like a fool being my first time and all, also i may have read a little too much into things......So pen has gone to paper and to be honest i shoulda done it sooner!!!Once again thanx to everyone for their input!P.S. Thanx for the heads up Casey on the paraphrasing! Did i mention i was wet behind the ears??

[Casey H]

Hi SeanDrop me a PM or email if you want assistance regarding the contract.... BIG NON-LAWYER DISCLAIMER... Casey

[jamesolszewski]

seanhenry I only hope someday I'm in the same panic as you! I still got a big goose-egg on my "deals" resume.But hey you're ahead of me so when my first one comes in maybe I'll ping you for a lessons-learned!JamesO