Reddit reviews All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Seventh Edition

All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Seventh Edition by Donald S. Passman

Get a music lawyer and/or manager to overlook any contracts before you sign anything. If they ever demand an answer "Or no more deal" then run run away.

Anyway, there are some books you need to check out If you haven't already and read the relevant sections of.

All you need to know about the Music Business

The Savvy Musician

Along the notes of what BlerpityBloop said: hire a legal rep, or at least if you have a friend/family that's a lawyer look over it (they can translate all the legal jargon no matter what their specialty). Management isn't necessary but it's helpful.

Yes, always remember that if someone is offering YOU a recording contract it's because they want something from you (whether it's % of ownership, publishing, etc etc). Not saying that's a bad thing- you inevitably have to give up something to gain something, unless you're one of those rare youtube stars that burgeon overnight. And even then, when the labels come running, they still end up giving away part of their creation to make even more $$$.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS read what people put in front of your face, especially the fine print.

READ BOOKS ABOUT THE MUSIC BUSINESS- mainly what 360 deals are, how advances work (this screws SO many artists), and copyright/publishing ownership. This book is great to start with if you don't already have it.

A basic understanding of how the industry operates and how royalty streams flow will help you out tremendously, and just a little bit of research can save you a lot of heartache in the future.

Hope that helps. If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask. That's what reddit is for, right? :)

Best of luck!
-NNXT
(qualifications: signed artist/songwriter)

(yes, sometimes "we" make ourselves known.)

They forgot a really good and essential one: http://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1439153019/ref=pd_sim_b_1

I am finishing up law school and have studied mostly entertainment and interactive media law. A guy I studied with graduated last year and has started his solo practice representing some bands, venues, and a music studio and we will be partnering up once I graduate and hopefully get my bar number. I would suggest starting with the basics and taking copyright, trademark, intellectual property licensing, and whatever other IP classes you can. Don't worry too much about patent unless you want to expand into there. Besides the classes, the best advice I can give is go to some professional events that you are legitimately interested in. For me, I want to focus most on interactive media (videogame) law and music as second so I go to game developer conferences and the events meant for the people in the industry as often as possible. For you, this may actually mean going to shows and talking to bands, promoters, venues, studios, anyone and everyone just to see what they do and how they do it so you can really know what kind of legal help they will end up needing. Also, there is a book called All You Need to Know About the Music Business and I highly recommend buying it.

http://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1439153019/ref=pd_sim_b_1

It is meant for everyone and my entertainment law professor used this book in conjunction with our casebook for the class. You get to know a lot about how the business came to be what it is and why mechanical royalties and other considerations are in a lot of transactions. With your interest in digital you also want to find a good industry website where you can keep current on how people release music because there is becoming less and less of an accepted "standard" record deal or distribution deal. If you are genuinely interested in this stuff then it will show and you will blow past a lot of other lawyers who throw their hat into entertainment law. And don't forget to reach out to any lawyers who practice entertainment law around you. Your state's bar website might have lawyers listed by practice area and you can see if any are near you. At worst they will not be available to meet up, at best they are flattered and will get some lunch with you. Hope this helps and feel free to ask any more specific questions.

Read this http://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1439153019 then you can know what you're talking about.

Exactly. You can not copyright a drum beat, but you can copyright a performance of a drum beat (or anything else). Performance basically just means a recording.

Therefore, if I cover a song, I owe the composer of the song, but not the drummer who played on the original recording. And that is why you make much more money as a songwriter than as a session player.

If you're interested in these kinds of legal issues I'd recommend the following books:

• The Musician's Business and Legal Guide
  
• All You Need to Know about the Music Business