Contracts in the Music Industry - Term Paper Example

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Since the invention of the radio in the late 1800s, the music industry has been a flourishing and booming entertainment industry. As with almost every employment role, a contract is implemented to estimate and evaluate what the artist has to do service wise and the amount of money they can be granted to do so (as well as advancements.) These contracts have been morphed and revolutionized since the creation of widely distributed music as with most formated deals. Various implementations of these types of signee contracts have been forged since formatting to suit the employer's needs and the employee.

Cases brought by labels and artists alike have served as a backbone for Stare Decisis, the Latin meaning for letting a decision stand, or having a previous case law precedent on the following disputes or agreements in the future. Most contract types have been hatched and formulated to suit the needs of every nook and cranny of the music industry, making sure every span is covered by the law and cannot be breached via the basis of a loophole. Contracts are also formed based on abridging the service of a separate entity or company; for example, a distribution deal (unless in the house) can be formulated with another company to ensure a lucrative deployment and management of a record.

Mandating these deals are some of the undocumented processes of the music industry due to it’s unappealing to some nature. But whether a growing artist is seeking to understand the behind the scenes making of his craft or a possible enrollee in this area of the music industry, it is essential to follow a lot of these concepts for future instances. Creativity and innovation have the driving forces for economies across the globe. The phenomenon encompassed with the shifting nature of technology has promoted efficiency and efficacy in various sectors in the global arena.

The entertainment industry is among those that have benefited immensely from the growth and development of technology.

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Download file to see previous pages The industry has produced the most famous people in the nation and has continued to generate income for individuals and the economy in general. Music composers and producers, as well as promoters, performers, and even video directors, are fed by the dynamic industry. In turn, they have adopted creative channels for expressing their idea. From the composition of unique songs to the production of distinct sounds, players in the sector have strived to set and uphold high standards as a measure of establishing a competitive edge over competitors (Arcos, 439-443). The industry, just like any other, has had its share of challenges, mostly pegged on the diverse nature of human beings and the need to entertain followers and fans. A relevant component to the success of a person's career in the music industry is the need to protect their ideas and maintain ownership of the innovations. In a bid to address this setback, artists and players in the music industry have resorted to signing relevant contracts to protect their interests and earn from their ideas. The question that emerges then is what one can do to protect their original ideas and gain from their creations. In this study, I seek to establish the implication of contracts in the music industry, concerning their usage and how the various agreements are applied to uphold originality and enhance creativity.

History of Modern Day Record Labels

Music can be traced back to the earliest civilizations in history. An art form that has evolved and optimized throughout time. Music has always remained relevant and always will be a part of society. The real golden age in the music industry is when a company named Philips and Poly Gramophone created wax cylinders that users could operate and listen to specific tracks and albums from their homes. With the uprising of this semi-portable, at home listening devices came the marketing, rebranding, and profiting off all musicians and artists alike. The music industry evolved out of the desire to profit off these talented people and share their talents with a more widespread audience through the recently invented wax cylinders and the less recent radio. The formation of conglomerates and the ever-pressing issue of the artist's treatment has stemmed and could be traced back to these roots.

Accessibility vastly increasing throughout the years and steadily opening the 21st Century development of the portable music listening device has expanded. The desire to collect, choose and create own music increased dramatically. With the iPhone, the chance to finally have your music and carry it wherever you go, the rise of "Bedroom Artist" became prevalent. People who have their producing software and self-teaching skills can cooperatively or solely put out music on a non monetized platform like Soundcloud. When an artist becomes very analytically popular through their based streaming platform, venue sales, venture sales, or physical sales, they can sign to a larger or smaller record label that could be an extreme advantage in their current scenario. Having a team of 5-20 people to work with you on a project while networking and giving you proper insight on something they have been working on for multiple years. The age-long quarrel that has become apparent in the music industry revolves around the contract formulated by a team of lawyers in the large company's in-house firm.

In some cases, the company will gear the contract in favor of the label or organization. Unfortunately, for most companies, their legal knowledge is subpar, and when they see a deal with significant figures on it, their first instinct is to sign. A master is a legitimate ownership over a body of work; the contract exists based on two terms. Either a time-based deal that could span from a short amount of time to about ten years. The other contact can vary from the number of singles, albums, or works in general. When signing a seemingly high price contract (at the time) and you become extremely popular and your wages not renegotiated, sometimes the morale decreases, and the artist becomes unhappy. ...Download file to see next pages Read More