![]() ![]() While there are plenty of deals in the music business that had their start over casual discussions during drinks or meals, if you’re a musician signed to a record deal and being given fancy new clothes or lavish meals from your label, the expenses involved for them might actually be on your dime, considered an “advance” to you that will be taken out of your royalties. Expensive Clothes, Champagne & Lobster Meals From Your Label Might Be On Your Dime. The cost to hire one to get you out of the contract after you sign will be way more expensive and in many instances impossible to break you out of with litigation lasting for years.Ģ. If there’s only one music biz lesson to take from Straight Outta Compton, the importance of having a lawyer review your contracts before you sign is most crucial. ![]() I can’t stress or say this enough – have a lawyer, specifically an experienced music lawyer (not your cousin who is a paralegal, your friend still in law school who interned once with a label, or your personal injury lawyer) look it over first. Is the contract locking you into any sort of exclusivity that prevents you from signing other music deals? Will the label or publisher have rights to your other music works? Will they have rights to your stage name? Will they be taking an unreasonable extent of your copyrights or ancillary rights in touring or merch? Will they be commissioning music videos or PR and deeming those costs as an advance? Will you have the right to audit your royalties? Did they even mention when you will be getting your royalties? If you’re dealing with a foreign label and you’re based in the US, can you only bring a lawsuit abroad? Does the contract say that the label can appoint your manager and take a 70% cut of all your income as your manager and your label? You would be surprised how much one sentence in a contract could literally alter a musician’s entire career forever- and not for the better. Just because a cash advance isn’t being offered as a part of a music contract, doesn’t mean that serious obligations aren’t otherwise involved. Because little to no money is being advanced, many indie musicians seem to interpret this as meaning that they don’t need to hire a lawyer to look over the contract or that the legal expense isn’t worth it. In today’s music business, there are tons of small independent record labels and music publishers offering label, publishing or licensing contracts without any advances given. It never ceases to amaze me how often I hear musicians shrug off the need to hire a lawyer to review a contract. If you’re a musician, you should do the same. Ice Cube’s character in the movie knew what was up, and refused to sign any paperwork as an artist without having a chance for his lawyer to look it over first. This is the biggest lesson that any musician should leave Straight Outta Compton with if they don’t know this already. : Don’t Sign A Contract Until Your Lawyer Looks It Over. Below are six essential music biz lessons I pulled from the movie that every musician should know, regardless of genre…ġ. But also because the storyline is full of invaluable lessons in how to survive and thrive in the music business.Īs a music lawyer now in my 6 th year of practice and proud old school hip-hop head, Straight Outta Compton was essentially a giant nerd-gasm for me and made me feel like it should be a part of any music law or music business curriculum. Not only because it will make you want to immediately curate all sorts of West coast-rap inspired Spotify playlists soon as you leave the theater (I know I did). Why? Not only because it’s one of the most entertaining and engaging capsules of hip hop history I’ve seen in years. But If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend you set those (legitimate) concerns aside, and clear your calendar to make time to go see it – particularly if you are a musician. If by now you’ve seen Straight Outta Compton, the acclaimed movie on the rise of NWA , then you already know that the praise its been receiving is well deserved. Granted, there’s been controversy about the directorial decisions by Team Compton to eliminate certain aspects of NWA’ s history and their personal relationships outside of the group. Guest Post by Mita Carriman on OkayPlayer
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