Ask many emerging reggae artists,
what is a publishing deal
and I am sure
I few will wonder
what the hell you are talking
about. For the more seasoned artists that’s
a different story. There has been
many stories
of reggae artists been
ripped off of the
publishing. Just recently
a prospective client
presented me with a copy
of what seems
to be a publishing agreement. At a brief glance I
knew some
was wrong
here, on the
last page
I saw names
and percentage
figures, which again,
didn’t
look right.
My advise to artists, is when in doubt seek professional help. Do not be “penny wise and pound foolish.” The money you try to save today, tomorrow you may have to spend thousands of dollars to correct. According to an article on www.BashmentVibes.com, ‘record labels and so-called collection societies have deprived reggae artists of millions in publishing and royalty revenues.” According to famous Jamaican producer Edward ‘Bunny’ Lee, record labels robbed them themselves, as at the time (back in the early days of reggae) they knew nothing about publishing and were given blank contract to sign. Little did they know they were signing away the rights to their music forever. Labels like Virgin, Universal Records and Trojan Records are accused of this practice. However they are not the only one who has robbed singer/songwriter of their royalties and the rights to their material.
Going back to my prospective client, how can a producer acquire 50% of a song that he never co-wrote? JamDung Entertainment will seek to educate our clients of their right as it concerns all facets of the music business. Bear in mind that a publishing deal has two components to it, the writer’s share and the publisher’s share. In a fair society the writer’s share should always be greater than the publishers share, however there are instances where this is the opposite.
My advise to artists, is when in doubt seek professional help. Do not be “penny wise and pound foolish.” The money you try to save today, tomorrow you may have to spend thousands of dollars to correct. According to an article on www.BashmentVibes.com, ‘record labels and so-called collection societies have deprived reggae artists of millions in publishing and royalty revenues.” According to famous Jamaican producer Edward ‘Bunny’ Lee, record labels robbed them themselves, as at the time (back in the early days of reggae) they knew nothing about publishing and were given blank contract to sign. Little did they know they were signing away the rights to their music forever. Labels like Virgin, Universal Records and Trojan Records are accused of this practice. However they are not the only one who has robbed singer/songwriter of their royalties and the rights to their material.
Going back to my prospective client, how can a producer acquire 50% of a song that he never co-wrote? JamDung Entertainment will seek to educate our clients of their right as it concerns all facets of the music business. Bear in mind that a publishing deal has two components to it, the writer’s share and the publisher’s share. In a fair society the writer’s share should always be greater than the publishers share, however there are instances where this is the opposite.
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