It is usual for managers to be remunerated on a commission basis, calculated either on the artist’s gross earnings or his net earnings....

The territory Generally, the manager will be appointed on a world-wide basis. However, the artist might wish to limit the territory by,...

If the manager and the artist do not know each other well (and particularly if the manager does not have a proven track record and/ or...

The purpose of this series is to advice artists on the alternatives that are available to them when considering different contract terms...

Other than the publishing agreement itself (also called the “Exclusive Songwriter Agreement”), there are several other types of music...

The points discussed in previous articles should always be in the back of your mind when negotiating your publishing agreement....

In the past, publishers virtually always used to own the copyright in the songs forever (i.e. “in perpetuity” or for the “life of...

As the copyright-holder of a song, a publisher is free to exploit that song in any way he wishes, unless he is contractually prohibited...

Synchronisation is becoming bigger and bigger business for publishers every day. The first reason is the growth of South Africa’s film...

Publishing advances are recoupable against royalties. Therefore, a composer will not receive any royalties until such time as the...

Unlike NORM, SAMRO will, generally speaking pay your publisher his share, and the songwriter his share, for the use of the compositions....

In the UK, public performance royalties are, like mechanical royalties, prescribed by industry agreements between representatives of...

USA and Canada In the USA, mechanical royalties are calculated in a different manner. In the US, each song currently attracts a statutory...

I will now give a brief and somewhat simplified explanation of how mechanical royalties are calculated and paid through the societies,...

The mechanics of the publishing industry are a lot simpler than those of the recording industry. Typically, a publishing house will have...

How long is a piece of rope? It depends on the parties and their circumstances. For a new composer signing to a major publisher, the...

Even small publishers tend to have worldwide connections. It is far simpler for a publisher to set up international links and sub-...

For a composer who is also a recording artist, the publisher will usually insist that during each one year period of the term (usually...

The period during which the composer is required to write exclusively for the publisher is referred to as “the Term.” As in recording...

There is no simple answer to this question. Many professional advisers in the music industry take the view that you should wait until you...