"5 Things To Understand About Getting A Recording Contract"
|
Music Publishers |
When you consider how many talented performers there are who do not have a recording contract it help you realize that this is not as easy to get as you might think. In this article we look at 5 things you must do to get a contract for yourself or your band.
1. Are you a lawyer? Probably not. Most of us do not understand how contracts work and therefore are not really qualified to understand what we are signing. Getting an entertainment lawyer or at least someone who specializes in contracts of this type is one of the most important decisions you will face.
2. A contract is defined as an agreement between two or more parties, especially one that is written and enforceable by law. Because this is binding you must be sure that you are comfortable with what you are signing. You may have to make concessions no matter how successful you have been. Just be sure you are totally aware of what your contract states.
3. Depending on how new you are you may not have leverage when it comes to signing your record deal. This is not like buying a car or a house where you may negotiate from a position of strength. This is another reasons hiring an attorney to represent you is a good idea. They are adept in understanding how to apply what you have to offer as leverage. Most musicians are not.
4. Be sure you do understand one big point and that relates to Royalties. This is where you will make most of your money on a recording contract. The difference between what your record sells for at retail and what it is purchased by a record store at wholesale is what most recording contracts are based on. As a new artist with your first recording contract you can expect to receive around 10% o this difference.
5. Lastly you want to know what is being spent on promoting your record once you have signed on the dotted line. In your contract try and have some minimum dollar figure attached to promoting your record. This will obviously affect sales which affects your royalties, but it also can affect other forms of your income
As your exposure increases from the promotion of your album you become a better know entity which can increase the number of dates you play live. This can lead to more record sales an other merchandising sales as well.
**********************************************************************
Brian Cook is a freelance writer whose articles on music and songwriting have appeared on many websites.
You can find more of these at SongwritersGuide.com.
**********************************************************************