Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract

Producer/engineer Avalon reveals the shady side of contract development in the music industry. He discusses how to avoid the financial losses and legal battles that ensue when artists unwittingly sign contracts that contain loopholes and hidden agendas.

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The inside story on how to decipher music recording contracts - Shows artists, lawyers, managers, and others how to read and understand recording contracts - Sheds light on complex industry issues, such as music distribution on the Internet. - By the author of Confessions of a Record Producer To help artists avoid signing contracts laced with hidden agendas, Code Cracker exposes the multi-layered language of recording agreements that are crafted by major label lawyers. This book dissects and deciphers actual recording contracts, literally translating them into "real English" and presenting the originals and translations side by side. Grouping the contracts' clauses by issue - advances, royalties, distribution, and more - the book explains the need for each clause, offers advice on negotiating certain points, and outlines alternatives for developing new contracts. This user-friendly guide defines common terms that have been uniquely redefined by the music industry and label lawyers, and features plenty of entertaining insider stories.