Post term commission
Lesson time: (1min 30sec)
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Legals & Deals: The Basics of The Music Industry
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Lesson transcript:
Understanding Management Terms in Music
We've talked about what the management term is.
Definition of Management Term
- Management Term: This is the period during which the manager is the exclusive representative of the artist, to the exclusion of any other manager.
End of Management Term
Once that term ends, the manager's ability to commission ceases, with the exception of what's called post-term commission.
Post-Term Commission Explained
While there are certain variables, in essence what this means is:
- If you, the artist, first released a record or wrote a song during the management term, the manager will still have the right to charge a commission even after the management term has ended.
- This right is limited to songs and recordings that were bookended by the management term.
Commission Periods
A difficult concept to explain, but hopefully I'm succeeding. The period of time for post-term commission is typically defined in two phases:
- Full Commission Period
- Half Commission Period
Quite often, this can be defined as:
- Five years at full commission
- Five years at half commission
Practical Example
So, if I'm an artist and I wrote and released a track during the management term, even after my management term ends, my manager will continue to be able to commission on that track for:
- A period of time at full commission
- A period of time at half commission
Important Clarification
This should not be confused with works that were released after the management term ends, over which the manager wouldn't have an ongoing right of commission.
About the instructor
Jules O'Riordan has over 30 years of experience across the entire spectrum of the music industry. This includes nearly a decade as an A&R for the Universal umbrella of labels, 15 years as a presenter on BBC Radio 1, over 150 record releases and remixes in his own capacity as a recording artist, plus a 30-year career as one of Britain's best-known, globally-travelled DJs (Judge Jules), with over 5000 gigs under his belt, plus extensive experience as an event promoter and artist manager at the highest level. Suffice to say, Jules knows the music industry inside-out, and his clients regard him as a trusted advisor for whom no legal or business affairs challenge or problem is too large or small. Jules has been a lawyer for 10 years. His practice takes in the entire breadth of the music-focused entertainment industry. His legal and deal expertise includes management, recording, publishing, distribution and label services, music-based apps, games and tech projects, production deals, producers, featured artists, endorsements, merchandising, neighbouring rights, TV/film scores, live performance, events and venue agreements, plus copyright and rights infringement and many other disputes. Jules's clients include artists, management companies, record labels, songwriters, event promoters, producers, music tech businesses, production companies, live agents, music publishers and DJs. He has spoken on many panels and seminars including ADE, Brighton Music Conference and AIM events, and has been a guest speaker on legal issues across a number of on and off-line media outlets, including BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Introducing, Financial Times, The Sun, The Times and Mixmag. Jules speaks fluent Spanish. Who better to demystify the contracts and deals every musician eventually faces? In his course, Jules turns three decades of hard-won industry knowledge into plain-English guidance, so you can understand the business side of music and protect your work long before you sign on the dotted line. read more