How Artists Should Deal with Auto-Renewing Contracts

It’s easy to fall into the routine of scrolling past terms conditions agreements without thinking much about them. However, they can often affect the future of your music, where it can be released, who controls it, and how it can be distributed. For example, a licensing agreement can change how future revenues are received (or waive future royalties entirely); a contract with one distributor might limit future opportunities with another; some sponsorship agreements will bind you/your band members to one specific type of product. These are all instances when you are limited by the choices made without full consideration of long-term effects.

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Why Copyright is Still Evil

I published an article last year on copyright and its evils. Both the title and tone were deliberately provocative for a reason – I argued against copyright from moral not utilitarian grounds. That is, I attacked head-on the fundamental injustice of copyright laws, rather than quibble about how they can be tamed and made “fairer”, as most pro-freedom advocates do.

The article was picked up by many websites. Many objections – some sensible, some just angry – came in from readers. I address some of these objections below.

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Could You Handle a Full-time Music Career?

Many artists I know tell me that they’d love to be able to do music for a living, to make their band a full-time occupation. Often times, my initial reaction (that I usually keep to myself) is asking, “Really? What would you do?”

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Free peek at broken system of music reporting rights

Dirty secret: Musicians and songwriters all know that if their music is being played commercially, the reports they are getting back are more than likely wrong. Cue sheets and affidavits are routinely entrusted to interns to fill out – sometimes by hand. One misspelled song title and the artists wave goodbye to their royalties.  In fact, over 80% of music played commercially is either unreported or misreported.

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DATE CHANGED- The Rights Workshop Presents: Make Music, Make Money: Get Paid To Write Music

Rights Workshop founder Brooke Wentz, who has 25 years of experience licensing music and hiring composers for films, television shows and brand campaigns, will deliver a crash course on music business basics for composers and songwriters. Guest speakers Marc Capelle and Monte Vallier, who have written music for brands like Macy’s, Adobe and Odwalla, and television networks like HBO/Cinemax and The Food Network, will speak about how to get gigs and successfully break into the business.

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