Protect your music, your rights, and your career
Professional music contracts for artists, producers, labels, managers, and the people who work with them. We've got you covered whether you're signing a deal, booking a show, or protecting your publishing rights.
Every contract has been drafted and reviewed by a Harvard Law entertainment attorney.
What are you trying to do?
Find the situation that matches your deal and go straight to the contract that fits.
- I want to bring on a manager.
- I want to hire a producer.
- I want to split songwriting credit with co-writers.
- I want to release music with a featured artist.
- I want to sign with a record label.
- I want to license a beat.
- I want to license music for film, TV, video, or online use.
- I want to book a live performance.
- I want to sell or license merchandise.
- I need confidentiality before discussing a deal.
Browse every music contract below.
Search by name or scroll the full catalog. Each contract is $50.
Band / Group Partnership Agreement
Name ownership, income splits, voting rules, and what happens if someone leaves.
Artist Management Agreement
Bring on a manager — commissions, authority, sunset clauses, and termination rights.
Appearance Agreement
Book an artist for a one-time appearance — meet & greets, promotional events, charity galas, and speaking engagements.
Musician & Group Endorsement Agreement
For musicians partnering with a brand — campaigns, sponsorships, festival activations, and gear or signature-product deals. Covers endorsement rights, deliverables, exclusivity, and compensation.
Tour Manager Agreement
Hire a tour manager — per-diem, travel logistics, settlement duties, and tour accounting.
Social Media Manager Agreement
Hire someone to manage your social media accounts — posting schedules, content calendars, analytics, and account access.
Stylist Agreement
Hire a wardrobe stylist, hair stylist, or makeup artist — rate, kit fee, credit, and cancellation terms.
Record Label Agreement
Sign with a label, advances, royalties, master ownership, and option periods.
Music Publishing Agreement
Partner with a publisher — advances, delivery commitments, sync approval, and income splits.
Music Distribution Agreement
Get music on Spotify, Apple Music, and more — distribution fees, catalog rights, and accounting.
Recording Studio Booking Agreement
Rent a recording studio by the hour or day — rates, deposit, cancellation, master ownership of the session output, gear damage, and engineer responsibilities.
Music Producer Agreement
Hire a producer — fees, royalty points, publishing splits, credit, and master ownership.
Beat License Agreement
Buy or license a pre-made beat — exclusive or non-exclusive rights, usage limits, and streaming caps.
Sync License Agreement
License a song for film, TV, commercials, or video games — sync fee, territory, and usage terms.
Featured Artist Agreement
Bring on a featured artist — credit, royalties, publishing splits, and label clearance.
Cover Song License Agreement
Release a cover recording of an existing song. Statutory or negotiated royalty rate, accounting and audit, advance, and format restrictions.
Songwriter Split Sheet
Document who wrote what percentage of a song — splits, PRO info, and publisher details.
Hired Services Agreement
Hire a photographer, videographer, designer, or other creative professional for cover art, music videos, press shots, websites, or merchandise design.
Artist Booking Agreement
Book a concert, club gig, festival set, or private show — guarantee, door deal, or backend split. Covers rider, merch, hospitality, and cancellation.
Venue & Facility Rental Agreement
Rent a rehearsal space, recording studio, or concert venue — access times, equipment, insurance, and deposits.
Concert Promoter Agreement
Hire a promoter to market and produce a live show — guarantees, backend splits, ticket pricing, and settlement.
Merchandise Licensing Agreement
License your band or artist name and logo to a merch vendor that designs, produces, and sells tour merch and branded goods — royalty splits, product approval, and quality standards.
Merchandise Manufacturing Agreement
Produce a tour merch run, album release drop, or band-branded apparel — pricing, minimums, sample approval, and licensed-IP warranties for band logos and artwork. You'll own and sell the goods.
Need more than one music contract? Get unlimited access to all 26 music contracts for one year for $150.
See the Industry PlanKey Terms To Understand
- Master recording
- A specific recorded version of a song. Whoever owns the master controls how that recording is used and earns from it.
- Composition
- The underlying song itself, the melody and lyrics, separate from any one recording of it.
- Publishing
- The business of managing and earning from compositions, including royalties when songs are performed, streamed, or licensed.
- Royalty
- A share of income paid to a rights holder each time a work is sold, streamed, performed, or licensed.
- Advance
- Money paid up front that is later paid back out of future royalties before the artist starts collecting them.
- Recoupment
- The process of a company earning back money it advanced before it pays the artist a share of profits.
- Commission
- A percentage of income a manager or agent keeps as payment for their work.
- Sunset clause
- A term that gradually reduces and ends a manager's commission on older deals after the management relationship ends.
- Work made for hire
- An arrangement where the person paying owns the work from the start, rather than the creator.
- Term
- How long the agreement lasts.
- Territory
- The geographic area the agreement covers.
- Exclusivity
- A promise to work only with one party, or not with certain competitors, during the term.
- Approval rights
- The right to review and sign off on decisions, such as releases, edits, or licensing, before they happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What music contract do I need before releasing a song?
Is a songwriter split sheet the same as a producer agreement?
When should an artist use an artist management agreement?
What is the difference between a master recording and a composition?
Do I need a sync license to use music in a video?
What are common warning signs in music agreements?
These are common issues to watch for in any music agreement:
- Ownership of recordings or compositions is left unclear
- Payment terms with no amount, schedule, or method
- Broad exclusivity that blocks other work
- No way for either side to end the deal
- Rights that last forever with no clear explanation
- Vague royalty or commission language
- No approval step for releases, edits, or licensing