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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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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

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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