Should I be wary of a publishing deal?
With
Judge JulesJudge Jules on publishing deals - why to keep your songs together as one body of work, avoid signing too early and weigh up what a publisher actually adds.
What's in the course
46 lessons (1h 6m) · 1 free
01. Accounting
Free lesson1:16
02. Termination
1:29
03. Collection societies and letter of direction
0:26
04. Commission structure
2:32
05. Cross platform-multimedia aspects
0:39
06. Expenses
1:10
07. Key man provisions
1:01
08. A manager's obligations
2:33
09. Post term commission
1:30
10. Should a manager be involved in all aspects of an artist's income?
1:40
11. Term
1:46
12. Should a manager manage more than one artist?
1:24
01. Accounting payments and auditing
2:18
02. Ancillary shares
1:58
03. Artist approvals
1:51
04. Artist promotional obligations
1:50
05. Assignment or licence - what's the difference?
3:17
06. Interplay with publishing
0:51
07. Options
1:39
08. Release commitment
1:26
09. Rights in the artist's name and brand
1:26
10. Royalty types
1:20
11. Territory of agreement
1:54
12. Warranties and indemnities
1:37
01. What are the most important areas of a contract for a new artist?
2:11
02. Is it normal that a music lawyer would meet me and listen to my case before charging me?
1:15
03. If a label, publisher or manager approaches me to sign a contract but I dont have the funds to pay for a lawyer, who should pay the legal fees?
1:20
04. Are 360 degree deals good value for an artist?
1:14
05. Am I still protected when it comes to copyright in the NFT or the crypto world?
0:26
06. Should I be wary of a publishing deal?
You are here1:02
07. What protection exists for artists releasing their own music that don't have access to a lawyer?
1:03
Lesson transcript
Understanding Music Publishing
I think it's very difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer about music publishing other than to say:
Do not piecemeal.
- Sign individual songs that you have written to individual publishers.
- You want to keep it together as a body of work.
Major Opportunities
There are only two or three really big deals you can do if you become very successful, giving you a large advance, one of which is a publishing deal.
When to Consider a Publishing Deal
Now, if you've got a valuable body of work and you sign a publishing deal where you're going to get the rights back to your songs eventually, and:
- You need the money
- You feel that your publisher is adding value to you
- Perhaps they are foraging opportunities that you wouldn't otherwise get
Then there is an argument in favour of possibly doing a publishing deal.
Key Recommendations
But what I would certainly suggest is:
- Don't do one too early.
- Don't have false expectations about what your publisher can procure unless you are absolutely certain that they'll deliver the goods.
- And whatever you do, don't sign away the rights to your songs individually.
Your collection of works, your body of work, is far more valuable in its entirety.
46 lessons
1h 6m of structured video lessons
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
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.
