contracts – protecting rights, minimizing risk, and negotiating fair terms for creators in the U.S. and globally.
Your music is your career – and every deal you sign decides who owns it, who controls it, and who gets paid. When you need a music contract lawyer in Miami or New York, ChaseLawyers® helps recording artists, producers, songwriters, and managers review, negotiate, and draft agreements in plain English, so you understand every clause before you put your name on the line.
From a first beat lease to a major-label offer, we look past the headline advance. Our attorneys – including Barry Chase, Gregory Bloom, and Alex Loveyko – examine master ownership, royalty rates, recoupment, term, and creative control, then negotiate terms that fit your goals. We safeguard your interests at every step, so you can focus on making music.
contracts — protecting artists, producers, and their rights across the U.S. and globally.
What Do We Offer You?
Music Contract Services for Artists & Producers
Recording Contracts – Sign Your Record Deal With Confidence
A record deal can launch your career – or lock it up for years. Our recording contract attorneys help you:
- Review label, distribution, and 360 deal offers line by line.
- Negotiate advances, royalty rates, recoupment, and term length
- Push for master ownership, reversion, or approval rights where possible.
- Flag options, exclusivity, and delivery obligations before you commit.
Producer Agreements – Protect Your Beats, Points & Credits
Your sound is your signature – make sure the paperwork says so. We help producers and the artists who hire them:
- Draft producer agreements covering fees, points, and credit.
- Structure non-exclusive beat leases and exclusive beat licensing agreements.
- Clarify who owns the master and how it can be used.
- Spell out work-for-hire and assignment terms so ownership is never in doubt.
Ownership & Collaboration – Keep Control of Your Songs and Name
Every collaboration needs clear splits before a song is released. We help you:
- Prepare split sheet agreements and co-writing contracts for each session.
- Register songs and sound recordings with the U.S. Copyright Office.
- Clear samples and interpolations before release day.
- Protect your artist or band name with trademark clearance and filing.
How It Works
How We Work – From First Offer to Final Signature
- Tell us about the deal, the people involved, and your goals.
- Share the draft contract, term sheet, or offer email.
- Hear back from our team within 24 hours.
- Identify risky clauses and missing protections.
- Walk through the key terms in plain English.
- Decide what to push for and what you can trade.
- Negotiate with labels, producers, managers, or their counsel.
- Draft or redline agreements, split sheets, and side letters.
- Keep you informed before anything is signed.
- File copyright and trademark applications.
- Help you set up PRO, SoundExchange, and publishing registrations.
- Respond if someone uses your work without permission.
- Revisit your deals when options, renewals, or new offers arrive.
- Support touring, brand partnership, and publishing agreements.
- Plan for new markets and bigger collaborations.
Recording Artists & Bands
Independent or weighing a label offer, you deserve to understand the deal in front of you. We help you protect your masters and your name and negotiate terms that leave room to grow.
Music Producers & Beatmakers
From beat leases to major placements, we help you get paid for your production, credited correctly, and protected when a track takes off.
Songwriters, Managers & Creative Teams
Management agreements, co-writing splits, and side deals all need clear terms. We help managers and writers structure agreements that protect everyone at the table.
Our Reviews
FAQ
Music Contract FAQs for Artists & Producers
Straight answers to the questions artists, producers, and managers ask before they sign. Every deal is different, so book a free consultation for advice on yours.
It is strongly recommended. Record, producer, and management agreements often run for years and control your masters, songs, and income. A music contract lawyer can explain each clause, flag one-sided terms, and negotiate changes before you are bound. Renegotiating after you sign is much harder, so a review up front can help you avoid costly surprises.
Focus on the royalty rate, the advance and how it is recouped, the term and number of albums or options, who owns the masters, delivery requirements, and creative approvals. Also check exclusivity, audit rights, what happens if the label never releases your music, and any share of touring, merch, or publishing income. Many of these terms can be negotiated.
In a 360 deal, a label takes a share of income beyond record sales, such as touring, merchandise, endorsements, and sometimes publishing. In return, it may invest more in marketing and development. Whether it makes sense depends on the percentages, which income streams are included, and what the label actually commits to provide. We can review the offer and negotiate limits.
Producer “points” are percentage points of the record royalty paid to the producer, usually in addition to an upfront fee that is often treated as an advance. Key questions include whether points are paid from the first record sold or only after recording costs are recouped, and how streaming income is counted. A clear producer agreement settles these details in writing.
It depends on your agreement. Without a written contract, ownership can be unclear, and the producer may keep rights in the recording or the composition. A beat lease usually grants limited, non-exclusive use, while an exclusive license or buyout can transfer broader rights. Because work-for-hire rules do not neatly cover every recording, strong agreements also include a clear assignment of rights.
Yes, if you clear it. A sample generally needs two permissions: one from the owner of the sound recording (often a label) and one from the owners of the composition (usually publishers or songwriters). Fair use is narrow and unpredictable, so relying on it is risky. Clearing samples before release helps you avoid takedowns, frozen royalties, and infringement claims.
Under U.S. copyright law, co-writers who intend to create a joint work generally share ownership equally unless they agree otherwise. That is why a signed split sheet matters: it records each writer’s percentage, publisher, and PRO details. We draft split sheets and co-writing agreements so registrations match and royalties follow what everyone agreed.
If you use your name to sell music, merch, or live shows, a federal trademark registration can strengthen your ability to stop others from using a confusingly similar name. Before filing with the USPTO, a clearance search helps confirm the name is available. We can run the search, advise on the right classes of goods and services, and prepare the application.
Most artist–manager relationships start with a management agreement covering commission, term, post-term commissions, and each side’s duties. From there, you may need recording, producer, publishing, booking, touring, and sponsorship agreements. We draft or review these contracts so both the manager and the artist understand their rights and obligations from day one.
Cost depends on the type of agreement and how much negotiation is involved. ChaseLawyers® offers flat-fee packages for common services like contract reviews, plus hourly or retainer-based options for ongoing support. Your first consultation is free, so you can talk through your deal and get a clear quote before deciding how to move forward.
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