Similar to a partnership agreement, a band agreement is a contract between two or more artists who wish to form a partnership agreement for the purposes of forming a band.
Whilst many bands start out with the greatest of intentions, some bands may eventually split up for a variety of reasons. Irrespective of the relationship between the members of the band, it is of upmost importance to have a strong agreement in place between its members.
Most band agreements are drafted in accordance with the creative input required by each member. Some of the key clauses to look out for in a band agreement are as follows:
- Ownership of copyrights – these cover any original artwork that is used, as well as the musical and literary copyrights pertaining to the music and lyrics, the phonographic copyright pertaining to the ownership of the recordings.
- Ownership of goods – these can include but are not limited to ownership of musical equipment, tech equipment, instruments etc.
- Income rights, including the apparent issue of who receives what percentage of the proceeds from music sales, product sales, or sync/sponsorships. Details of what would happen to these percentages if a band member left or even if the band as a whole broke up is another thing to consider.
- Details who owns the band name. If a popular brand has been established, who is permitted to continue using the name if some members of the band go separate ways.
- Details of how decisions will be made between the band.
There are many other clauses within a band agreement that should be carefully considered before either party entering into the agreement. This is why it is always advised that you seek legal advice before signing an agreement that could potentially affect your career on a long term basis.
If you are an band member/ artist and you wish to obtain any advice in relation to artist band agreements, contact Lawdit Solicitors today.
