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Composer Agreement

For a producer or studio hiring a composer to create an original score for a film, series, or documentary — covers spotting sessions, demos, revisions, delivery formats, publishing rights, and screen credit.

Drafted by a Harvard Law entertainment attorney.

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Feature	Custom Contract	Editable Template
Best for	Most users	Editing everything yourself
How it works	Answer guided questions	Fill highlighted fields yourself
Word and PDF	Yes	Yes
Built-in e-signature	Yes	No
Time required	About 2 to 5 minutes	Depends on your edits
Price	$50	$50

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Is this the right contract for your project?

This contract is built for hiring a composer to create original music or a score for a film, show, or video. It fits work that needs a set fee, defined delivery of cues and files, clear credit, and clear ownership of the music.

Good fit for

Producers or studios hiring a composer
Filmmakers commissioning an original score
Music supervisors bringing on a composer
Composers setting their fee, credit, and publishing
Projects that need clear ownership of the music

You may also need

Producer Agreement - when hiring a producer for the project
Production Company Agreement - when a company will deliver the production
Director Agreement - when hiring a director for the project
Sync License Agreement - when licensing existing music instead of a custom score
Non-Disclosure Agreement - before sharing private project details

Before you start

It helps to have these details on hand before you create your contract:

The composer's name and the project
The fee and what any music budget must cover
Delivery of cues, files, and formats
Deadlines for demos and final delivery
Who owns the music and the master recordings
Whether the composer keeps any publishing or royalties
How the composer will be credited

What's Inside This Contract

Engagement and services

Sets the score, spotting, demos, revisions, and delivery.

Compensation

Covers the fee, payment timing, and what any music budget covers.

Intellectual property and rights

States who owns the music and how publishing and royalties are handled.

Credit

States how and where the composer is credited.

Term and termination

Covers how long the deal lasts and how it can end.

Representations and warranties

Confirms each side has the right to enter the deal and meet its promises.

Disputes and general provisions

Covers standard terms such as notices, how disputes are handled, and signatures.

Points Worth Negotiating

The fee and what the music budget must cover
Who owns the music and the master recordings
Whether the composer keeps any publishing or royalties
How the composer is credited
Delivery format and deadlines

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a composer agreement?

It hires a composer to create original music for a project. It sets the fee, delivery, credit, and ownership of the music.

Who owns the score?

Ownership is negotiated. Most deals give ownership to the production as work made for hire, while some leave the composer a publishing share.

Does a composer keep any royalties?

A composer keeps a writer's share of publishing and earns performance royalties when the deal allows. The agreement sets this out clearly.

What is a music budget or package deal?

A package deal pays the composer a single amount that covers their fee plus recording and musician costs. The agreement defines what the budget covers.

What should I have ready before creating it?

Have the fee and what the budget covers, the cues and files to deliver, the deadlines, who owns the music, any publishing share, and how the composer is credited.

Should I choose the custom contract or the editable template?

Choose the custom contract to answer a few questions and have it filled in for you. Choose the editable template if you prefer a blank version with labeled fields to complete yourself.

What are common warning signs in a composer agreement?

These are common issues to watch for in any composer agreement:

Unclear ownership of the music
No clarity on publishing or royalties
Missing credit terms
Vague delivery format or deadlines
Music budget responsibilities are unclear

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