Home Blog Music Management Agreement Review: Key Terms, Tips, Lawyer Help

Music Management Agreement Review: Key Terms, Tips, Lawyer Help

Jump to Section

Quick Facts — Music Management Contract Lawyers

What is a Music Management Agreement Review?

A music management agreement is a legal document signed by a music artist and management company. It defines important aspects of their working relationship, such as compensation, duties, and how decisions are made.

Reviewing this agreement before signing it is essential because it affects the music artist’s career and opportunities. Without a proper review of all terms, a music artist could find themselves paying extra costs, sacrificing their authority, or taking on other legal and financial risks.

Read the rest of this article to explore key terms of a music management agreement, how to review it, and how a lawyer can help you with the process.

What’s Included in a Music Management Agreement?

A music management agreement usually contains key terms, such as the following:

  • Term. It’s common for music management agreements to operate for a few years, but the artist should be allowed to end the contract should they not be satisfied with the management’s work.
  • Commission. This specifies how much commission is provided and for what, such as live performances. It might also include information about when commission shouldn’t be provided.
  • Duties. This section specifies the manager’s tasks and responsibilities, such as providing career guidance to the music artist.
  • Costs. All expenses that the manager can be paid back must be included in the agreement.

How Can You Review a Music Management Agreement?

There are some important things to look for when reviewing a music management agreement. This includes the following.

  • Commission. It’s common for commission to be 15 to 20 percent of the artist’s net income. Check that advances for activities, such as live performances, are correctly stipulated
  • Term. Make sure that the term is for less than three years. This ensures that the artist can assess the quality of the management company’s services.
  • Termination. There must be clear processes for how parties can end the agreement.
  • Scope. The manager’s duties need to be specified so that there’s no misunderstanding between parties. Consider your career goals to ensure they’re aligned.
  • Key man clause. This clause specifies that you’re dealing with one person at the management company and should they leave their job, you’ll be able to end the agreement. This prevents you from being locked into a contract.
  • Expenses. When reviewing the costs that management can claim back from you, you want to confirm that they’re reasonable.
  • Check post-term earnings. Ensure that any money management can continue to earn after contract termination is limited and reasonable.

Other Tips for Reviewing a Music Management Agreement

When reviewing a music management agreement, there are some general tips to bear in mind.

  • Flag vague statements. Any open-ended or unclear wording can be misinterpreted by parties. These should be queried with the other party for greater transparency.
  • Check for consistency. Everything in the contract should be aligned so that there’s no confusion or contradictory statements between sections.
  • Look for one-sided terms. You want to be wary of any terms that favor the other party and reduce your authority.
  • Ensure it’s easy to understand. You should be able to understand everything in the contract. If it’s filled with legal jargon or too complex, it can cause issues or disputes down the line.
  • Negotiate any unfavorable terms. If you’re unhappy with anything in the contract, you should discuss it with the other party. Get everything you’ve agreed on in writing so you don’t rely on verbal agreements.

Do You Need a Lawyer for a Music Management Agreement Review?

It can be beneficial to hire a lawyer for a review of your music management agreement before you sign it. This will give you peace of mind that you’re entering into a legal, clear, and reasonable contract that’s aligned with your career interests.

Here are some practical ways in which a lawyer can help you review a music management agreement:

  • They’ll unpack complex or legal language to make the contract easier to understand. This is crucial so you don’t sign something without understanding all the implications.
  • They’ll check one-sided provisions and hidden costs. This serves to protect your rights and priorities.
  • They’ll lay down all the manager’s responsibilities. This ensures that you and the other party can avoid mismatched expectations or service goals.
  • They’ll review commission and payment structures. All revenue needs to be fair and reasonable.
  • They’ll analyze termination and exit options. They will help prevent you from getting stuck in a long-term contract that limits your career opportunities.
  • They’ll protect your creativity. Lawyers will review the contract to ensure you have as much authority as possible over your music, creativity, and brand.
  • They’ll negotiate on your behalf. If you’re unhappy with any unfair or restrictive terms, your lawyer can negotiate for more favorable ones.
  • They’ll keep you legally compliant. A lawyer will check that the agreement is in line with all relevant rules, industry standards, and laws.

Where Can You Find a Lawyer for a Music Management Agreement Review?

If you want a legal review of your music management agreement, you don’t have to struggle to find a lawyer in real life. Online legal marketplaces such as ContractsCounsel make the process of hiring a lawyer for contract review simple and easy.

ContractsCounsel is one of the largest online legal marketplaces where clients can connect with thousands of vetted, reliable lawyers who have years of experience in conducting contract reviews.

If you want to hire a lawyer from the ContractsCounsel platform to review of your music management agreement, you should follow these steps:

1. Post your project for free on the ContractsCounsel marketplace.

2. Try to include a few details about what you require.

3. Wait for lawyer bids. You’ll receive multiple bids from lawyers on the platform who want to assist you.

4. Review the lawyers' profiles based on criteria such as their location, experience, expertise, and client ratings.

5. Choose the best lawyer for your purposes, and get peace of mind that your contract is professional, fair, and legally sound.


ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.


Meet some of our Lawyers

Darryl S. on ContractsCounsel
View Darryl
5.0 (148)
Member Since:
November 9, 2023

Darryl S.

Founder and Counselor-at-Law
Texas
33 Yrs Experience
Licensed in TX
The University of Texas School of Law Austin

I offer flat/fixed fees rather than hourly work to help lower your legal costs and align our interests. I specialize in contract law and focus on making sure your contract is clear, protects your interests and meets your needs. You can expect fast, straightforward communication from me, making sure you understand every step. With my experience, you'll get a detailed review of your contract at a fair, fixed price, without any surprises. I have over 30 years of business and legal experience that I bring to your project. I graduated from The University of Texas School of Law with High Honors in 1993 and practiced at Texas' largest law firm. I have founded companies and so understand how to be helpful as both a lawyer and business owner.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"He was very good. He wrote up the privacy policy as requested, made me aware of laws relevant to my situation and gave me a useful checklist to ensure I implemented the policy correctly. Completed the job quickly as well."

Joshua B. on ContractsCounsel
View Joshua
5.0 (11)
Member Since:
September 19, 2023

Joshua B.

Founder
Free Consultation
Austin, Texas
24 Yrs Experience
Licensed in NY, TX
University of Texas

Josh Bernstein has been serving real estate and corporate transactional clients since 2002. His experience is varied, and he enjoys working on and puzzling out novel and complex corporate and real estate matters. Josh’s experience includes, among other things, the following: representation of public companies in connection with SEC reporting and compliance work (proxies, 10-K’s; 10-Q’s; 8-K’s, etc.); representation of public and private company securities issuances (including private placements, and other similar offerings); assistance in structuring and drafting joint ventures, both for investors and operating partners, and including both real estate and corporate ventures; handling public and private company mergers and acquisitions; and asset sales and dispositions; assisting clients, big and small, with real estate acquisitions, sales and financings; managing large-scale and multi-state real estate portfolio acquisitions, dispositions and financings; complex condominium creation, structuring and governance work, including: commercial condominiums, use of condominiums as a land planning tool, wholesale condominium property acquisitions and dispositions, and rehabilitating failed or faulty condominium legal structures to make ready for sale; development of restrictive covenants and owners’ association documents for master-planned communities; compliance with federal statutes governing real estate sale and development (including, without limitation, the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act, the Housing for Older Persons Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act); representation of real estate lenders, for both improved and unimproved property, and including numerous construction financings secured by real estate; assistance with commercial leasing; from both the landlord and tenant side, and including condominium leasing; training residential home and condominium sales staff for compliance with applicable local and federal law; and workouts of all kinds. When he’s not busy lawyering, Josh may be found watching 80’s commercials, flying a single-engine plane, playing poker, or trying to be a good dad.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Josh has been extremely helpful sorting through issues with a tenant."

Valerie L. on ContractsCounsel
View Valerie
5.0 (48)
Member Since:
September 21, 2022

Valerie L.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Vacaville, CA
5 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA

Valerie is a passionate attorney specializing in Employment Law, Family Law, Personal Injury, and Business. With a strong foundation in the legal field, she is committed to helping individuals navigate the intricacies of their legal agreements. Valerie prioritizes open communication, ensuring her clients feel seen, understood, and confident as they make important decisions for their future. She is committed to empowering clients to become the best version of themselves while addressing their unique needs throughout the process.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"I had an excellent experience working with Valerie on my prenup. She was knowledgeable and thorough. She took time to answer my questions and explain items in detail. I felt completely supported throughout the entire process. Thank you for your professionalism and for making an otherwise stressful task feel more manageable. Highly recommend!"

Laura B. on ContractsCounsel
View Laura
4.9 (11)
Member Since:
October 6, 2023

Laura B.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Oakland, California
5 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
UC Davis School of Law

I received my undergraduate degree from Columbia University and my JD from UC Davis School of Law. I specialize in drafting, reviewing, and litigating contracts, general civil litigation, restraining orders, and family law. I have helped entrepreneurs form their business entities and grow their small businesses. This area of my practice has focused heavily on YouTubers, podcasters, and individuals creating unique online platforms. In the family law context, I have helped my clients petition for and obtain custody of their children and modify existing custody arrangements.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"I had the pleasure of working with Laura B. on some recent legal matters, and I genuinely can’t recommend her enough. From start to finish, Laura was professional, responsive, and incredibly efficient. What really stood out to me was how thorough and proactive she was — she didn’t just check the boxes, she went above and beyond to make sure everything was done properly and on time. Legal work can feel overwhelming, but Laura made the entire process smooth and stress-free. She explained everything clearly, answered all my questions promptly, and stayed one step ahead the entire way. I never had to chase her for updates — she was always on top of it, which gave me a ton of peace of mind. It’s rare to find someone who combines legal expertise with such a down-to-earth, approachable style. I felt like I was in really good hands the whole time. I’ll absolutely be working with Laura again for any legal needs that come up in the future, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for a sharp, dependable, and genuinely helpful attorney."

Samuel R. on ContractsCounsel
View Samuel
5.0 (68)
Member Since:
October 2, 2021

Samuel R.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Phoenix - Arizona
7 Yrs Experience
Licensed in AZ, PA, UT
Widener University Delaware Law School

My career interests are to practice Transactional Corporate Law, including Business Start Up, as well as Real Estate Law, Estate Planning Law, and Intellectual Property Law. I am currently licensed in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Utah, after having moved to Phoenix from Philadelphia in September 2019. I currently serve as General Counsel for a bioengineering company. I handle everything from their Business Transactional Agreements, Private Placement Memorandums, and Corporate Structures to Intellectual Property Assignments, to Employment Law and Beach of Contract settlements. Responsibilities include writing and executing agreements, drafting court pleadings, court appearances, mergers and acquisitions, transactional documents, managing expert specialized legal counsel, legal research and anticipating unique legal issues that could impact the Company. Conducted an acquisition of an entire line of intellectual property from a competitor. In regards to other clients, I am primarily focused on transactional law for clients in a variety of industries including, but not limited to, real estate investment, property management, and e-commerce. Work is primarily centered around entity formation and corporate structure, corporate governance agreements, PPMs, opportunity zone tax incentives, and all kinds of business to business agreements. I have also recently gained experience with Estate Planning law, drafting numerous Estate Planning documents for people such as Wills, Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Directives, and Trusts. I was selected to the Super Lawyers Southwest Rising Stars list for 2024 - 2026. Each year no more than 2.5% of the attorneys in Arizona and New Mexico are selected to the Rising Stars. I am looking to further gain legal experience in these fields of law as well as expand my legal experience assisting business start ups, and also trademark registration and licensing.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Sam was awesome to work with, super helpful, knowledgeable, and professional. Highly recommend."

Drew B. on ContractsCounsel
View Drew
4.6 (10)
Member Since:
July 1, 2021

Drew B.

Managing Member
Cleveland, Ohio
28 Yrs Experience
Licensed in MO, OH
Saint Louis University

Drew is an entrepreneurial business attorney with over twenty years of corporate, compliance and litigation experience. Drew currently has his own firm where he focuses on providing outsourced general counsel and compliance services (including mergers & acquisitions, collections, capital raising, real estate, business litigation, commercial contracts and employment matters). Drew has deep experience counseling clients in healthcare, medical device, pharmaceuticals, information technology, manufacturing, and services.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
4.7

"Hired for a settlement contract to be written out in legal manner. Ammended contract as well to add clauses that we had not written.Efficient, professional. Said the time-frame would be about 4 business days and he did deliver on that in fact worked through the weekend and mlk day. Offered one final revision as well as a call to finalize language of contract. The final document delivery was more than we expand also he went above and beyond to deliver extra documents we may need. Would highly recommend."

Find the best lawyer for your project

Browse Lawyers Now

See Real Artist Management Agreement Projects

California Model Management Contract Review Review
  • California
  • 5 lawyer bids
  • $395 - $750
View Details
Florida Draft Artist Management Contract between Manager and Artist (Electronic Music DJ) Drafting
  • Florida
  • 5 lawyer bids
  • $725 - $1,200
View Details
Nevada basic athlete/ agent agreement for endorsements and marketing Drafting
  • Nevada
  • 2 lawyer bids
  • $450 - $695
View Details
New York Draft Art Gallery Artist exclusive representation agreement Drafting
  • New York
  • 14 lawyer bids
  • $575 - $2,995
View Details
New Jersey Management Agreement (Model) Review
  • New Jersey
  • 4 lawyer bids
  • $300 - $499
View Details
New York Review contract for modeling/talent agency Review
  • New York
  • 10 lawyer bids
  • $300 - $1,000
View Details

See all Artist Management Agreement projects

Quick, user friendly and one of the better ways I've come across to get ahold of lawyers willing to take new clients.

View Trustpilot Review

Need help with a Music Management Contract?

Create a free project posting
Clients Rate Lawyers 4.9 Stars
based on 24,603 reviews
CONTRACT LAWYERS BY TOP CITIES
See All Business Lawyers
MUSIC MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT REVIEW LAWYERS BY CITY
See All Music Management Agreement Review Lawyers

Contracts Counsel was incredibly helpful and easy to use. I submitted a project for a lawyer's help within a day I had received over 6 proposals from qualified lawyers. I submitted a bid that works best for my business and we went forward with the project.

View Trustpilot Review

I never knew how difficult it was to obtain representation or a lawyer, and ContractsCounsel was EXACTLY the type of service I was hoping for when I was in a pinch. Working with their service was efficient, effective and made me feel in control. Thank you so much and should I ever need attorney services down the road, I'll certainly be a repeat customer.

View Trustpilot Review

I got 5 bids within 24h of posting my project. I choose the person who provided the most detailed and relevant intro letter, highlighting their experience relevant to my project. I am very satisfied with the outcome and quality of the two agreements that were produced, they actually far exceed my expectations.

View Trustpilot Review

Need help with a Music Management Contract?

Create a free project posting
Clients Rate Lawyers 4.9 Stars
based on 24,603 reviews

Want to speak to someone?

Get in touch below and we will schedule a time to connect!

Request a call

Find lawyers and attorneys by city