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Recording Agreements (Part 1)
By: Chris Taylor, B.A ., LL.B.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are not meant to substitute for legal advice which should be sought in each particular instance.
Introduction This article is the first of a two-part article reviewing the major terms found in a typical Canadian Major Record Company recording contract. Of course, individual circumstances can vary widely depending on the bargaining power of the artist.
Major Record Company When we use the term "Major Record Company" ("MRC") we mean one of the following companies in Canada: Warner Bros., Universal, BMG, EM! and Sony. Several other record companies in Canada including Jive, Aquarius, and Nettwerk can, on occasion, make competitive offers against MRCis. Smaller record companies may be more flexible on the length of term and creative control issues whereas MRCis are often stronger in the financial guarantees of artist advances, recording funds, video budgets, tour support, etc.
All of these terms are discussed below.
Term Every recording agreement should explicitly outline how long the contract is for. Typically, the term is tied to a delivery commitment for a particular number of albums. In most instances a Major Recording Company will attempt to tie up the artist for as many albums as possible with the maximum being up to 8. albums. The artist (or their representatives) should attempt to reduce this requirement to as few albums as possible (3 to 6).
The MRC will commit to producing and releasing one album and will retain options to the remaining albums. It is important to remember, although a recording agreement may be for up to 8 albums the MRC will not guarantee to fund the production of all 8 albums. It is their option to decide whether or not they wish to extend the relationship with the artist beyond the first album..
Occasionally an artist may be able to have the MRC commit to a guaranteed 2 albums but rarely beyond that. The artist tries to get the MRC to comrh.it to as many albums as possible and to reduce the overall option periods as much as possible. The reduction of option periods will, hopefully, put the artist is a better position to re-negotiate an extension oftheir current agreement if they enjoy success on their first 4 or 5 albums. As we know, artists rarely reach the end of their option periods with the MRC; however, it doesn't hurt to plan ahead just in case.
Advances Normally when an artist signs a recording agreement with an MRC the artist will receive an advance of approximately $20,000 - $50,000 CDN. This is money for the artist to use at the artistis sole discretion. Often this money is used to pay living expenses, management commissions, legal fees, and artist debts. This money, especially if it is the sole source'of income for the artist, must also provide for the artistis basic living needs (i.e. food, rent, etc.) before, during and after the recording of the first album under the
MRC agreement. Sometimes MRCis will kick in further monies when the artist is in desperate need, other times they wonit and the artist may be forced to entertain a publishing offer or work a second job prior to release of the first album.
The artist will receive further artist advances for subsequent albums under the recording agreement when, and if, the MRC elects to exercise its option(s).
[Note to reader: do not forget to address Goods and Services Tax (G.S.T.) issues under this section.]
Recording Budgets/Funds The agreement will also guarantee a minimum amount for recording each album under the agreement. An average guaranteed recording budget for a first album would likely range between $100,000 - $200, depending on the anticipated recording costs for the artist. Many times recording companies will guarantee a minimum recording budget but authorise larger actual recording budgets once the process begins of recording the actual album. Very few albums are recorded for amounts lower than the recording budgets granted in the agreement.
It is important to understand the distinction between recording "Budgets" and recording "Funds" in a recording agreement. "Recording Budgets" are often bare minimums where, if the artist comes in under budget, the surplus does NOT go to the artist; whereas "Recording Funds" pay any recording money ~urplus, remaining after delivery of the applicable album, to the Artist. Make sure this is clarified in the agreement.
Recoupment This issue of recoupment is important to understand. In brief, many of the costs incurred by the record company such as artist advances; recording budgets; tour support and video monies are paid back to the MRC through the artistis royalty (described below). For example, if the record company costs listed above totalled $450,000 and the artistis royalty was $1.50 per album, the artist would need to sell 300, copies of their album (triple platinum in Canada!) to be in a "recouped" position.
On the bright side of the equation the advances described above' are only recoupable from artist royalties under the agreement and are "non-returnable" so, if you don it recoup under your agreement you do not have to repay the MRC through your personal funds. In addition, many of the MRCis costs such as marketing; promotion; and, other overhead costs are not included in the recoupable amounts.
Next Issue Next issue we will review Royalties; Territory; Creative Control; Controlled Composition ClauseslMechanicals; Video Budgets; and, Tour Support. Join us.
Chris Taylor is a music lawyer with the lawfirm of Sanderson Taylor and works with Grammy Award Winner, Nelly Furtado, and Grammy Award Producer Nominees Gerald Eaton and Brian West among others. www.sandersontavlor.com
Recording Agreements (Part 2)
By: Chris Taylor, B.A., LL.B.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are not meant to substitute f9r legal adviCe which should be sought in each particular instance..
Record companies pay an "artist royalty" for records sold (see above). The record company is also obligated to pay a "songwriter royalty" for each record sold which is called a "mechanical royalty". This mechanical royalty is addressed in the controlled composition clause ("CCC'I).
The CCC limits the number of songs the MRC wili pay a mechanical royalty on (for full albums: 12 songs) and the amount the MRC will pay per song (currently 7.4 cents per song). The CCC clause also typically reduces the per song rate by 25% to 5.5 cents so in effect the total payable by the MRC is 66. cents (12 x 5.5). If your albums contain more than 12 songs the MRC will only pay'66.6 per album. Finally, if your albums include many outside writers the MRC may pay the outside writer full rates first and only give you the surplus remaining from the 66.6 cents.
For example:
On a 14 song album: Record obligates itself to pay: 66.6 cents per album Outside writers are paid for writing 4 songs: 29.6 cents per album @ 7.4 cents per song Remaining mechanicals for artist/writer: 37 cents per album 3.7 cents per song
This is a key clause becalise this mechanical royalty income is not cross-collateralized against unrecouped amounts; therefore, the artist/writer actually receives mechanical royalty income despite the artist/writer's recoupment account with the MRC.
Video Budget MRC's will normally guarantee a minimum of 1 video per album at $50,000 minimum per video. Video costs are normally 50% recoupable as opposed to 100%.
Tour Support MRC's will normally guarantee a minimum amount of tour support per album at $25,000 per album. Tour support costs are normally 100% per recoupable.
Off-Stage Sales/Eq uipmentlMiscellaneous There are many other items that you may want to explore in your recording agreement. Some artists are successful at maintaining their right to purchase CD's from the record company to sell off-stage. Other artists convince MRC's to provide funds for the artist to purchase recording equipment.
There are many, many other issues that will be addressed in the long form recording agreement which often runs from 50 to 100 pages such as website rights; artist name rights; leaving member clauses; ,marketing restrictions; accounting provisions; and standard boilerplate indemnity and representation/warranty language.
I hope these articles have provided a basis for understanding the many complex issues found in these agreements.
