FREE 10+ Music Contract Samples & Templates in PDF | MS Word | Google Docs | Pages

Signing a record contract is probably one of the most important things an artist or musician should do before anything else. This is to ensure that an artist gets what is rightfully theirs. There are essential elements of a contract that protects both the recording company and the artist.

A contract agreement is a necessity for every artist, whether you are a musician in a band or a solo artist. The 5+ music contracts available on this page will be useful to you. These contract templates are carefully crafted to fit every artist’s needs. You can click on the links below to download.

Sample Music Recording Contract Template

Music Band Contract Sample Template

Music License Sample Contract Template

Simple Recording Contract Template

Music Publishing Contract Sample

Sample Music Investor Contract Template

Music Producer Contract Template

Artist Management Contract

6 Contracts That Every Serious Musician Should Have

A Music Contract and a Performance Contract are only two examples of an artist contract. Below are the six important contracts every musician should have.

• Songwriter Partnership Agreement – When two people co-write a song, this is where a songwriter partnership agreement comes into place. This agreement means that both parties should have equal rights as well as equal compensation for that song.
• Co–publishing Agreement – Before a song is published, it should be made clear who has the publishing rights to it.
• Artist Management Agreement – This agreement is useful when an artist hires a manager. It is important for an artist to have an agreement before any work is done between the artist and the manager. The purpose of this is to protect both parties in case of any disagreements.
• Tour Management Agreement – Whenever a musician goes on tour, he or she can hire a tour manager to handle things like selling merchandise or arranging the meet and greet.
• Live Performance Agreement – A live performance agreement is typically provided by the venue where a particular event is held. This will protect both the artist and the people who manage the venue.
• Business Management Agreement – At some point, an artist or artists may need a business manager to handle business matters such as the distribution of pay to the right individuals.

Music Performance Contract

Music Video Contract

Music Artist Contract

What Should Be in Every Recording Contract?

Here are the essential components needed in every artist’s Contract Agreement. A Production Contract is also useful for any production projects.

• It is important to specify the type of project you are trying to make such as a music video, a song, or a collaboration.
• The most important part of every contract is the terms. This contains the body of the contract and defines the roles and responsibilities of every individual involved in the contract.
• A contract should also indicate the territory of a particular song or record. It should be specified where a recording company is allowed to sell a specific record.
• A contract includes the copyrights for every recording. The recording company who handles a particular artist typically holds the copyright of an artist’s records.
• A recording contract also includes details of the recording costs. A recording company usually shoulders these recording expenses but is reimbursed through the artist’s royalties.
• Speaking of royalties, an artist is granted royalties and are paid by the recording company with a fraction of the total record sales.