Recording Artist Agreement
Agreement made on the _________________ (date) , between ____________________
(Name of Artist) of ____________________________________________________________
__________________ (street address, city, county, state, zip code) , referred to herein as
Artist , and __________________________ (Name of Recording 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 .
1. 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
Records and/or Recordings, as defined below.
B. Records and/or Recordings : all forms of reproductions, now or later known,
manufactured or distributed for home use, school use, jukebox use, or use in means of
transportation, embodying sound alone, including tape recordings and compact-disc
recordings , as well as every form of Recording embodying Artist's performances in which
a visual image is, whether of Artist or otherwise, fixed together with sound and played on
Audiovisual Devices.
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.
F. Term: the period commencing on __________________ (date) and ending on
_____________________ (date) .
1. 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 Records and/or Recordings of every kind including those 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 records, film,
videotape or other audiovisual media. All of the costs and expenses incurred in
connection with Record and/or Recordings shall be deemed advances and, accordingly,
shall be recoupable by Company from any sums payable to Artist in respect of Records
and/or 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
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 Records and/or 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
Records and/or Recordings and to distribute and to perform those Records and/or
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 Records and/or Recordings.
3. 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 Records and/or Recordings manufactured for distribution by any Licensee of
Company, Artist will be entitled to a royalty of ______% of the net money actually
received by Company as compensation for the use of the Records and/or Recordings,
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
______% 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
Records and/or Recordings concerned if it determines, in its sole discretion, to require
Artist's consent as a condition of their manufacture and distribution.
B. During the Term of this Agreement, no person other than Company will be
authorized to make, sell, broadcast or otherwise exploit Records and/or
Recordings 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 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 _____% 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 Records and/or Recordings unless Artist first notifies
Company and offers to enter into an agreement with Company as provided in the first
sentence of this Paragraph B. 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).
C. 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
Record and/or Recording 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.
4. 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.
5. Severability
The invalidity of any portion of this Agreement will not and shall not be deemed to affect
the validity of any other provision. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, the
parties agree that the remaining provisions shall be deemed to be in full force and effect as if
they had been executed by both parties subsequent to the expungement of the invalid provision.
6. 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.
7. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the
laws of the State of ______________.
8. Notices
Any notice provided for or concerning this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be
deemed sufficiently given when sent by certified or registered mail if sent to the respective
address of each party as set forth at the beginning of this Agreement.
9. Attorney’s Fees
In the event that any lawsuit is filed in relation to this Agreement, the unsuccessful party
in the action shall pay to the successful party, in addition to all the sums that either party may be
called on to pay, a reasonable sum for the successful party's attorney fees.
10. Mandatory Arbitration
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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. In this Agreement, any reference to a party includes that party's heirs, executors,
administrators, successors and assigns, singular includes plural and masculine includes
feminine.
WITNESS our signatures as of the day and date first above stated.
___________________________
(Name of Company)
________________________ By:_________________________________
(P rinted name) __________________________
________________________ (P rinted name & Office in Corporation)
(Signature of Artist) __________________________
(Signature of Officer)