Musician's Business & Legal Guide

Welcome to the third edition of this book. (There were also three prior editions published under the titleThe Musician's Manual,the first in 1979.) As the music business changes, we strive to keep each new edition current. We have updated all the chapters and have added five new ones: Digital Downloads and Streaming: Copyright and Distribution Issues; International Copyright, Getting Started as an Internet Artist, Royalty Statements: Audits and Lawsuits; and The Internet and Music. However, the basic messages from the first edition remain constant. At some point in your professional music career, you will learn that there are legal questions implicit in almost everything you do. Whether you write, perform or sell a song, your actions give rise to rights and obligations that you should consider. The time to learn is now. The purpose of this book is to demystify the music business and the seemingly indecipherable body of law that shapes it. And to help you "make it" by explaining the industry and the laws that govern it. This book is a collection of chapters written by people that work in the music industry. Many are lawyers; some are musicians. We have tried to make our information comprehensible to everyone, and have avoided presupposing a lot of knowledge on your part. At this point, we must present a few warnings. First, there is no substitute for obtaining competent help as you build your career. Talent agents, personal managers, lawyers and business managers are trained to guide you. Their expertise costs money, but you must think of these expenses as an investment in your career. Also, the chapters written by lawyers are designed to identify problems, not to give specific solutions. If you have a legal problem, do not rely on the information contained in this book; see an attorney. The chapters in this book are not the law, but merely describe legal applications, in general terms, for the music industry. Additionally, before you photocopy our forms for submittal, check with the organizations to which you are submitting--they may require you to fill out their original forms. In many cases, these forms may be downloaded and submitted via the Internet. There has been a radical change in the way musicians can access information since our last edition--the Internet. The U.S. Copyright Office and virtually all other major organizations involved in the music business now have Web sites that make their information instantly available and up-to-date. The Internet is also a new source of distribution of both songs and sound recordings, and as acts as an advertising and promotional tool for musicians. There has been a flurry of lawsuits against those that have given away the music you create. Thankfully, the music copyright owners have either prevailed in court or have negotiated settlements-but regulating the Internet in a way to protect your works and have their use paid for, remains the greatest challenge. One final note-although this book is a useful tool, musicians should write music, not contracts. Unless you devote your time and energy to developing and exploiting your talent, this book doesn't matter. Make it matter. Mark Halloran, Esq. Coauthor and EditorHalloran, Mark E. is the author of 'Musician's Business & Legal Guide ', published 0012 under ISBN 9780130316813 and ISBN 0130316814.