Agreement or Contract with Music Recording Artist Regarding Audiovisual Recordings
Agreement made on the ____ day of ______________________, 20____, between
________________________________ (Artist) of ________________________________
_____________________________________________________ (street address, city, county,
state, zip code) , referred to herein as Artist, and _______________________________________
_____________________ (Company), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of
the state of ____________________________________, with its principal office located at
______________________________________________________________________________
(street address, city, county, state, zip code) , referred to herein as Company.
Now, therefore, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants contained in this
agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is
hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
I. Definitions
As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
A. Master Recordings : every Recording of sound, whether or not coupled with a
visual image, by any method and on any other substance or material, whether now or
later known, which is used or useful in the recording, production or manufacture of
Phonograph Records, as defined below.
B . Records, Phonograph Records and Recordings: all forms of reproductions, now
or later known, manufactured or distributed primarily for home use, school use, jukebox
use, or use in means of transportation, embodying sound alone, including tape recordings
and compact-disc recordings.
C. Audiovisual Recordings: every form of Recording embodying Artist's
performances in which a visual image is, whether of Artist or otherwise, fixed together
with sound.
D . Audiovisual Devices: all forms of Records embodying Audiovisual Recordings
including, but not limited to, videocassettes and videodiscs.
E. Controlled Composition: a musical composition which is written or controlled, in
whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by Artist or any producer.
G. Term: the period commencing on ___________ ( date) and ending on __________
( date) .
II. Exclusive Right to Use Performances
Artist warrants and agrees that, during the Term of this Agreement:
A. Company shall have the exclusive right to use Artist's performances in connection
with Audiovisual Recordings for use on Audiovisual Devices, for broadcast or for any
other purposes which shall in all respects be subject to Company's approval. Artist agrees
to be available from time to time, at Company's request, to perform for the purpose of
recording by means of film, videotape or other audiovisual media. All of the costs and
expenses incurred in connection with Audiovisual Recordings shall be deemed advances
and, accordingly, shall be recoupable by Company from any sums payable to Artist in
respect of Phonograph Records and Audiovisual Recordings under this Agreement.
Artist's performances embodied on Master Recordings delivered under this Agreement,
and all right, title and interest in and to such recorded performances shall from inception
of their creation be the property of Company or Company's designee in perpetuity
throughout the world including, but not limited to, the worldwide copyright to such
recorded performances. Artist's compensation shall be limited to any minimum amounts
required to be paid for such performances pursuant to any applicable collective
bargaining agreements, provided, however, that Artist waives any right to receive such
compensation to the extent that any such right may be waived in connection with any
applicable collective bargaining agreement.
B. Artist shall procure for Company, promptly upon Company's request, and in a
form acceptable to Company, an irrevocable written consent by the copyright proprietor
of each musical composition embodied on any such Audiovisual Recording including,
but not limited to, for use on Audiovisual Devices, which consent grants to Company and
its licensees any and all uses of such musical composition without any payment to such
copyright proprietor.
C. Artist also grants to Company and its licensees, for promotional purposes only, an
irrevocable license under copyright to reproduce each Controlled Composition in
Audiovisual Recordings and to distribute and to perform those Audiovisual Recordings
throughout the world, and to authorize others to do so. Neither Company nor its
licensees will be required to make any payment in connection with those uses, and that
license will apply whether or not Company or its licensees receives any payment in
connection with those Audiovisual Recordings.
III. Royalties
Conditioned upon Artist's full and faithful performance of all the terms and conditions of
this Agreement, Company shall pay Artist royalties as follows:
A. On Audiovisual Devices manufactured for distribution by any licensee of
Company, Artist will be entitled to a royalty of _________ ( percentage) of the net money
actually received by Company as compensation for the use of the Recordings in those
Records, as computed after deduction of the following amounts:
1. Any direct expenses actually incurred by Company in connection with the
use concerned; and
2. A charge equal to _________ ( percentage) of the gross amount of those
receipts, instead of any other deduction for Company's fixed or overhead costs. If
any item of direct expenses is attributable to receipts from such uses of Master
Recordings made under this Agreement and other Master Recordings, then the
amount of that expense item which will be deductible in computing net receipts
under this Paragraph will be determined by apportionment. Company will have no
obligation to make any payment to Artist in connection with the Audiovisual
Devices concerned if it determines, in its sole discretion, to require Artist's
consent as a condition of their manufacture and distribution.
B. Subject to the provisions of Paragraph A above, with respect to Audiovisual
Devices, the royalty payable to Artist on all other uses of Audiovisual Recordings shall
be _____________ ( percentage) of Company's Net Video Receipts. Net Video Receipts
as used in this paragraph shall mean all money received by Company in the United States
from the exploitation of the Audiovisual Recording in question, less all costs incurred by
Company in connection with the production of such Audiovisual Recording, less a
_______________ ( percentage) distribution fee, and less any out of pocket expenses,
taxes and adjustments borne by Company in connection with such exploitation and
receipt in the United States of America of such funds. The royalties provided in this
Paragraph B include any royalty obligations Company may have to any other persons
who supply services or rights used in or in connection with Artist's audiovisual
performances, including, but not limited to, producers, extras and music publishers, and
any such royalty shall be deducted from the royalties otherwise payable to Artist.
C. During the Term of this Agreement, no person other than Company will be
authorized to make, sell, broadcast or otherwise exploit audiovisual material featuring the
musical performances of Artist unless:
1. Artist first notifies Company of all of the material terms and conditions of
the proposed Agreement pursuant to which the audiovisual material is to
be made, sold, broadcast or otherwise exploited including, but not limited to, the
titles of the musical compositions covered by the proposed agreement, the
format to be used, the manner of exploitation proposed and the identities of all
proposed parties to the agreement; and
2. Artist offers to enter into an agreement with Company, containing the
same terms and conditions with respect to advances, costs, royalties and other
payments (including, but not limited to, the method of computation and payment)
described in Artist's notice and otherwise in the same form as this Agreement, but
with payments to Artist that are _________ ( percentage) of the payments to Artist
in such proposed agreement. If Company does not accept Artist's offer within
__________ ( number) days after its receipt, Artist may then enter into that
proposed agreement with the same parties mentioned in Artist's notice, provided
that the Agreement is consummated with those Parties within __________
(number) days after the end of that ____________ (number) -day period upon the
same terms and conditions set forth in Artist's notice to Company. If that
agreement is not consummated within the __________ (number) -day period, no
person except Company will be authorized to make, sell, broadcast or otherwise
exploit such audiovisual materials unless Artist first notifies Company and offers
to enter into an agreement with Company as provided in the first sentence of this
Paragraph C. Company will not be required, as a condition of accepting any
offer made to it pursuant to this Paragraph, to agree to any terms or conditions
which cannot be fulfilled by Company as readily as by any other person (for
example, but not limited to, the employment of a particular producer).
D. The royalties provided above include any royalty obligations Company may have
to any other persons who supply services or rights used in or in connection with the
audiovisual performances of Artist, including, but not limited to, producers, extras and
music publishers, and any such royalties shall be deducted from the royalties otherwise
payable to Artist.
IV. Indemnification
Artist shall indemnify Company against any losses, damages, reasonable legal fees and
other expenses that Company may incur by reason of the breach of any of the representations or
warranties made in this Agreement by Artist.
V. Notices
All notices required to be given, or which may be given under this Agreement, shall be in
writing, and shall be sent by registered or certified mail, postage fully prepaid, addressed as
follows:
A. To Artist at: _______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________ ( mailing address of Artist) ; and
B. To Company at: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ ( mailing address of
Company) .
Either of the parties may by like notice designate a different address for the serving of notices.
VI. No Waiver
The failure of either party to this Agreement to insist upon the performance of any of the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, or the waiver of any breach of any of the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, shall not be construed as subsequently waiving any such terms and
conditions, but the same shall continue and remain in full force and effect as if no such
forbearance or waiver had occurred.
VII. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the
laws of the State of ___________________________________.
VIII. Mandatory Arbitration
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and anything herein to the contrary, any dispute under
this Agreement shall be required to be resolved by binding arbitration of the parties hereto. If the
parties cannot agree on an arbitrator, each party shall select one arbitrator and both arbitrators
shall then select a third. The third arbitrator so selected shall arbitrate said dispute. The
arbitration shall be governed by the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in force
and effect.
IX. Entire Agreement
This Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement between the parties and any prior
understanding or representation of any kind preceding the date of this Agreement shall not be
binding upon either party except to the extent incorporated in this Agreement.
X. Modification of Agreement
Any modification of this Agreement or additional obligation assumed by either party in
connection with this Agreement shall be binding only if placed in writing and signed by each
party or an authorized representative of each party.
XI. Assignment of Rights
The rights of each party under this Agreement are personal to that party and may not be
assigned or transferred to any other person, firm, corporation, or other entity without the prior,
express, and written consent of the other party.
XII. Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same
instrument.
WITNESS our signatures as of the day and date first above stated.
_________________________________________
CORPORATION
___________________________________ By_______________________________________
ARTIST (Name and Office in Corporation)