Single Song Publishing Agreement Template

This article describes the variables involved and the types of agreements commonly used. Sometimes a single-song contract, when the song is placed, can lead to a full-fledged writing offer from the publisher. It`s not uncommon for a songwriter to be offered a $20,000 (or much more) contract when the publisher now believes the songwriter is a potential hitmaker. But even if there is no other offer, it is often surprising to see how much money you can earn with a single song. This release agreement is a contract that is used when a publisher and songwriter agree to release each other from obligations arising from a contract previously signed by both parties. The music publisher/independent administrator manages and exploits the copyright for the copyright holder, whether it is the songwriter or a separate publisher. Usage features typically include accounting or business leader roles. Abstract: This article aims to give the songwriter and music publisher a summary of the fundamental rights, obligations, structure, duties, and scope of the 6 most common agreements that link a songwriter to their music publisher. If a music publisher is interested in one, several, or all of your songs, you`ll need to deal with at least one, and probably more than one, of those chords.

In a 75/25 co-advertising agreement, the author retains 100% of the songwriter`s share and 50% of the publisher`s share, or 75% of the total copyright. The remaining 25% is allocated to the publisher. When royalties are paid, the author/co-publisher receives 75% of the revenue, while the publisher receives 25% of the revenue. The world of music begins with a creative effort – the song. What happens next with this song is the music business. Often, the first contact a songwriter has with this commercial side of music is dealing with a music publisher. This relationship can be one of the most important that a songwriter can ever enter, because the role of the music publisher is to exploit the song (get artists to record it; the song in movies, TV series, video games, commercials, ringtones and ringtones, dolls and toys, musical greeting cards, etc. location); negotiate contracts with anyone who wants to use the song (film and television producers, advertising agencies, video game companies, etc.); to protect the song (copyright of the song, prosecution of infringers, registration of the song with ASCAP, Harry Fox Agency, collecting societies abroad, etc.); and collect all proceeds of the song from all sources (except the author`s share in the performance funds) and pay the songwriter his or her share in accordance with the songwriter/music publishing contract.

There are 6 basic types of chords that songwriters sign with a music publisher. These are the individual song agreement, the exclusive songwriter agreement, the co-publishing agreement, the participation agreement, the administration agreement and the foreign sub-publishing agreement. Other agreements include the singer/songwriter development agreement as well as the joint venture and joint venture agreements. Co-publishing and participation agreements: Many authors are able to negotiate co-publishing or participation agreements with their music publishers. Under the co-publishing agreement, the songwriter owns the copyright to his songs (usually through a wholly-owned company) and receives a portion of the publisher`s share of revenue (usually 50%) in addition to the songwriter.` share. According to the participation agreement, the author participates in the publisher`s income, similar to the co-publishing agreement, but does not become a co-owner of the copyright. *DISCLAIMER: These contract templates are provided for educational purposes only. Always consult a lawyer before drafting or signing a contract or other legal document. Exceptions may be applied to co-publishing agreements with co-administration, where certain types of licenses can only be granted by a single administrator, e.B. by an artist who is also likely to have contractual registration obligations with respect to mechanical licenses, promotional videos, etc. Common exceptions are: This type of agreement is the definitive exception to the concept of “single song”.

What usually matters is a publisher who loves a song and tries to achieve something that would turn that song into a valuable copyright. Music releases can be intimidating for musicians with no experience in music law. Contracts and chords seem intimidating and many musicians avoid learning more about them and get at a disadvantage. Overseas sub-publication agreements: The foreign sub-publication agreement is similar to an administrative arrangement. The only difference is that the publisher enters into a contract with another publisher in a foreign country to represent its catalog in that territory. For example, if an American publisher in England wants a publisher in England to represent its catalog in the United Kingdom, or if a publisher in France wants its catalog to be represented in the United States by an American publisher, the agreement is called a sub-publishing agreement. As with the administrative agreement, representation is limited to a certain duration (usually no less than 3 years), and the fees retained by the foreign sub-publisher for its services are negotiable within certain limits. The Act Composition License is used by a theatre producer or the creator of a play or music to enter into a contract with a songwriter or the songwriter`s publisher for the use of a song in the play or musical. Under this agreement, the songwriter typically transfers 50% (or in some cases 100%) of the publishing rights to a song to the publisher for a certain period of time, usually between 12 and 24 months. If the publisher gets a placement with an artist during this period (it doesn`t have to be Celine or Whitney), then the publisher becomes a permanent copyright owner of the song. .