Types of deal
Lesson time: (0min 59sec)
Judge Jules explains the difference between singles, EP and album deals, and why labels may push for one over another, so you know what you're signing.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Legals & Deals: The Basics of The Music Industry
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Understanding Music Deals: Singles, EPs, and Albums
Whether you receive a singles, an EP, or an album deal put on the table in front of you, regrettably, sometimes it isn't the choice of the artist.
Label Strategies
Many labels believe that:
- If they are investing time, resources, and marketing expertise into an artist, they should also have the opportunity to release some future material from that artist.
- They can land grab what should be a singles deal and label it as an EP, or vice versa.
The Streaming Era Impact
In the streaming era, where the concept of an album is increasingly ambiguous, artists can easily find themselves:
- Signing what they believe is an album deal or an EP deal.
- Entering into long contracts where they are releasing a multitude of singles instead of the cohesive body of work they initially hoped to produce in the traditional album format.
Be aware and informed about what each deal entails to ensure your artistic vision is preserved.
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