Musicians Label Deal Red Flags: What to Negotiate Before You Sign Taylor Swift's masters, Madonna's 90% touring share, California's broken 7-year rule for musicians: what every artist should fight for before signing a recording contract.
Musicians Your Music Is Being Used to Train AI. Here's What You Can Actually Do About It. AI companies trained on tens of millions of recordings — including yours — without consent. Here's what the lawsuits mean, what opt-outs exist, and the steps you can take to protect your catalog now.
Musicians DIY Release Agreements: What Independent Musicians Need to Lock Down Before Distributing Most independent releases have at least one contract problem — you just never signed anything. This guide covers the collaboration agreements, split sheets, producer deals, and distribution terms every indie musician needs before uploading a single track.
Musicians Copyright Registration for Music: The Two-Work Trap and How to Actually Register a Song Most independent musicians register only the recording, leaving the composition unprotected. A practical guide to PA versus SR, combined claims, GRAM and GRUW, the three-month statutory damages window, and how to avoid the traps that void registrations.
Musicians PRO Disputes: How ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC Actually Enforce — and What Musicians Should Know ASCAP and BMI operate under federal antitrust consent decrees; SESAC and GMR don't. A practical guide to how each PRO actually enforces, what songwriters and venue operators should do when a demand letter arrives, and three traps that turn small disputes into expensive ones.
Musicians Sync Licensing Basics: What the TV-and-Film Deal Actually Says Every sync placement is two licenses (composition + master) and a stack of clauses that decide what the production can do, where, and for how long. A practical guide to deal terms, traps, performance royalties, and what to negotiate before you sign.
Startup Central Navigating Entertainment Law in Austin: How Local Attorneys Empower Startups and Businesses Austin's entertainment industry generates $1.8 billion annually from live music alone. For startups in music, film, and digital media, local entertainment lawyers provide IP protection, contract negotiation, licensing, and dispute resolution for the creative economy.
Startup Central How Recording Artists Don’t Pay Advances Back to the Label Record label advances are non-returnable, but artists earn no royalties until the advance recoups from sales. This guide covers royalty calculations, the recoupment process, cross-collateralization, unrecouped balance implications, sunset clauses, audit rights, and negotiation strategies.
