Topic

Contracts

Session musician agreements: what to put in writing before the red light
A one-page session agreement saves artists and players from the most common disputes: who owns the recording, whether the player is paid once or shares in royalties, how they are credited and what the fee covers. This guide walks through each clause in plain language, and explains why "work made for hire" wording does less for a sound recording than many people assume under US law. Not legal advice; sources read on 25 Oct 2026.
25 Oct 2026Workflows
Band agreement basics: the name, the splits, leaving members and how you decide
A band that earns money together is often a business partnership in law, whether or not anyone signed anything, and the default rules may not be the ones you would choose. Here is what a band agreement should cover, using the UK Partnership Act 1890 as a worked example of what happens when you write nothing down.
24 Oct 2026Workflows
Producer agreements explained: fees, points, work for hire and letters of direction
A producer deal is usually two things at once: who owns what the producer made, and how the producer gets paid. Here is how fees and points fit together, what "work made for hire" really means under US law, and how a SoundExchange letter of direction routes a share of radio royalties to the producer.
24 Oct 2026Workflows
Accused, unaware, unrepentant: three AI music-video stories in one week
Fontaines D.C. say a VFX team used AI on "Marianne" without telling them, their label or management. Olivia Rodrigo's art team posted hand-drawn work to answer AI claims, and K.K. Downing defends an AI recreation of his younger self. Artists now carry the reputational risk of supply-chain choices they often never see.
21 Oct 2026AIvia Los Angeles Times
Digital-replica laws for musicians: what California, New York and Illinois actually require
California, New York, Illinois and Tennessee are among the US states with AI-era rules on copies of a performer's voice, and they work in different ways. California and New York kill vague replica clauses in contracts, California also requires estate consent for replicas of dead performers, and Illinois makes it unlawful to knowingly distribute an unauthorised replica. Here is what each statute says, where they differ, and a checklist for your next contract.
9 Oct 2026Artist rightsvia Office of the Governor of California

Session musician agreements: what to put in writing before the red light

Band agreement basics: the name, the splits, leaving members and how you decide

Producer agreements explained: fees, points, work for hire and letters of direction

Accused, unaware, unrepentant: three AI music-video stories in one week

Digital-replica laws for musicians: what California, New York and Illinois actually require

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