Warning, Read each contract!!!

[zink]

Hello all,I thought I'd share a recent experience for everybody's benefit.About 5 months ago I placed several tracks with a publishing library. I had to negotiate a few points of the contract to get a deal that I felt comfortable with. Anyway, last week they contacted me about signing two more tracks, and included a new contract in the email. I just got around to reading the new contract today. One of points that we had previously negotiated was just slightly reworded. However, this slight rewording would have made a HUGE difference if I didn't carefully read this new contract. Another point that we had negotiated was omitted all together.Moral (or lack there of) of the story, READ EVERYTHING CAREFULLY!!!Zink

[augustheat]

Zink:No matter how smart I think I am, I still think it's always a good idea to have a third party take a look at things. There are too many loopholes for me to keep it all straight. When I need dental work, I don't try to do it myself. Of course, at the rates my dentist is charging, I might give it a shot! Anyway, congrats on at least having a contract to mull over...Blessings,

[zink]

Dental work, HA (that's my toothless smile!)Your absolutly right! A good lawyer's advise (or a lawyer's good advise) is a nesessity. I should have said "negotiated (through my lawyer)." My mistake. My point was that we had already worked out a contract for a previous deal, and one would think that they would just send a new contract with the same wording instead of trying to slip one by me. Just a warning to all.Oh, and thanks! Zink

[hookstownbrown]

Just curious Zink... Did they ask for a piece of the publishing?

[zink]

Hey Hook,They're asking for all of the publisher's share. I keep all the writer's share, and we split upfront fees paid to the library 50/50.Z

[davewalton]

Quote:They're asking for all of the publisher's share. I keep all the writer's share, and we split upfront fees paid to the library 50/50.This was sort of a topic in another thread. My limited experience is that this is kind of a "standard" starting point. I have some music library placements and the deal is exactly what you described. Could I have negotiated something better? Maybe. But I'm "in" and getting new songs into the libraries is now MUCH easier. I figure that if the songs do well then I'll have some negotiating power on future songs. If none of the songs does anything, than any percent of $0 is still $0 and getting excorcised over the particulars would have been a wasted affair.

[hookstownbrown]

Yeah, I read that other thread after I saw this one. Seems like the industry is following the Nashville tradition of keeping 100% of the publishing... Sinful...