template

Publishing Deal For Songwriter (Publishing Agreement)

by
Genie Team
Genie Team
Nov, 02 2022

When to use this template

A music publishing agreement is a contract in which a songwriter assigns the copyright of their songs to a publisher. The publisher is then responsible for exploiting the songs and collecting the income from licensing, and then sharing that income with the songwriter. The agreement includes a minimum commitment from the songwriter, expressed as a proportion of songs on commercially released albums, and the contract lasts for an initial term with the option to extend the contract for additional periods.

Key issues covered in this template

  • Automatic extension
  • Bankruptcy procedures
  • Calculating royalties
  • Examples not exhaustive
  • Exploitation
  • Revenue share
  • Royalties payable
  • Royalty statements and payments
  • Synchronisation licence
  • Term of agreement
  • N/A

What to watch out for

  • The songwriter assigns the copyright in their songs to the publisher for a limited period

  • The publisher is not absolutely obligated to exploit the songs, but is expected to do so

  • The agreement provides for a minimum commitment from the writer in terms of the proportion of songs contained on commercially released albums

  • The agreement runs for an initial term followed by optional extension periods, each with its own minimum commitment

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Used by

Author

Genie Team

Genie Team

@genieteam
Genie AI

The Genie Team consists of lawyers and paralegals. Our aim is to open source the law and provide high quality, regularly reviewed legal documents.

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Pinnup Records Ltd
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+1 more
Media
14%
Sport & Entertainment
14%
Consultancy
10%
Legal Services
10%
Construction
7%
Finance
7%
Technology
7%
Energy
7%
Other
4%
Consumer, Public & Health Services
4%
Real Estate
4%
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4%
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4%
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4%

Additional information

Business categories

Business activities

Relevant sectors

Media

Relevant company sizes

1 - 3

20 - 49

250 - 999

4 - 19

50 - 249

1000 +

Governing law

England and Wales

Language

English UK

Gender neutral

Yes