music

If you are an aspiring music artist or a personal manager, you will inevitably come into contractual situations that require the employment of an entertainment attorney. This book will help you to understand some of the basic clauses that are found in most of the common industry contracts; however, for the true industry novice, much of the information contained here will go over your head. It does provide shrewd, practical advice on how to approach legal situations in a general sense, but its effectiveness will be best maximized when used to understand and improve communications with your attorney about whatever legal situation you are considering or negotiating.

This is a great, in depth book. It's almost impossible to absorb everything without being a lawyer but still, a great primer for anyone interested in the legal side of the music business.

In the beginning there was music as a form of communication. Next it became an art limited by a composers own imagination. Now it is a multi-billion dollar a year industry governed by more legal aspects than one could possibly imagine. Wading through the exceptional amount of contractually paperwork and legal jargon defining the complexity of the music business is Legal Aspects of the Music Industry. From lawyers looking for a simplified explanation for a client, to artists looking to better arm themselves to all the label reps, producers, managers, agents and so on in-between Legal Aspects... leaves no one out and no stone unturned. The wide ranging overview includes contractual explanations for royalty administration, publishing, distribution, master ownership, performance rights, management, booking, production, recording, videos, soundtracks, licensing, copyright and more. The presentation of these contracts and legal explanations is what makes Legal Aspects...

so valuable. Their original forms, including all the jargon and legalese is included and then broken down point by point, explaining the finer parts in the text and including full translations of terms and phrases. Alternate provisions are included as well as explanations as to what they entail and how they change the original textual concepts presented. All of this is then enlivened by personal experience and a range of real world examples. Legal Aspects... helps to break down the barriers between the legal, artistic and business worlds in such a way that it works both as a basic educational tool in the way it reads and a valuable reference manual in the way it is laid out. The explanations are clear and concise covering with wit and wisdom a wide array of legal ideas which present themselves on a daily basis in the music industry. It is easy to see after even just glancing through the pages that Legal Aspects... can prove invaluable for anyone even threatening to try and become a part of the business of bringing the art of music to the masses. It is not, however, meant to be a replacement for a qualified attorney who can work with the specifics of situations that are only presented as a boiler plate ideas in the book. Intellectual property and relationship contracts are very complex and dynamic legal ideas and require more than just words on a page in a single book to comprehend even partially. Legal Aspects... works as an excellent starting point to understanding their intricacy. The degree to which Legal Aspects... is written it is easy to follow and provides enough detail to be incredibly informative without bogging down the reader. It allows anyone with legal questions in the music industry to obtain the expert-type advice and beginning legal direction to better prepare them for the obsticals which still lie ahead.