how to get a music lawyer

by Mackenzie D'Amore 8 min read

Someone who is qualified to be a music attorney must have a degree in law and be board certified. He should pay particular attention to the laws concerning licensing, copyright, and contracts. The goal is to ensure that both the artist and the recording industry are given due compensation for the work that they perform, and are equally protected.

One of the best ways to find a music lawyer is by referrals from friends and relatives or from people you trust in the music business. You can also research music attorneys online. Check out Music Connection's Directory of Music Attorneys. Entering into a written attorney/client fee agreement is important.Oct 31, 2016

Full Answer

Is it easy to become an attorney in music law?

Jun 12, 2009 · Read reviews from old clients and check out websites to figure out who specializes in what part of the music industry. While you are doing your research, be sure to check for any complaints about your short list of lawyer names with the …

What does a music lawyer do?

In addition to taking traditional law classes, such as constitutional law, legal writing and civil procedure, you can take courses like music industry law, arts law, taxation and intellectual property law. You can finish law school in three years. Become State Licensed

How to become an entertainment lawyer?

Apr 25, 2022 · A music attorney can negotiate contracts between a musician and a variety of entities, and even amongst themselves. Bands often decide to create partnerships with each other in order to protect all members of the group. Band managers, agents, and other employees of the band usually serve under contracts as well. Record deals require contracts ...

Do I need a lawyer to manage my record label?

Practicing entertainment law has allowed me to combine my "in the trenches" experience and my legal training to help clients achieve their goals and resolve their problems. It continues to be a very rewarding profession. To learn more about entertainment law or to submit a question, you are invited to contact Al Staehely at 713.528.6946 or by e-mail to: al@music-lawyer.com.

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What is a music lawyer called?

Entertainment Lawyer
Also known as an Entertainment Lawyer, you have great knowledge of the music industry and the companies that produce records.

Why does a musician need a lawyer?

There are extensive record deals to be signed, intellectual property to be protected, and trademarks and copyrights to establish. Musicians need lawyers because navigating these areas can be difficult and sometimes even impossible without the right know-how.Aug 14, 2021

What thing do music lawyers deal with?

A music lawyer is a specialized attorney who deals with legal issues surrounding the music industry. They are trained to handle a wide range of legal issues, like contract management, copyright claims, trademark disputes, artist representation, and many more.

How much do rappers lawyers make?

The average annual salary for an Entertainment Attorney is approximately $117,600. Entertainment Attorney salaries can range from $77,000 to $186,000.Jul 3, 2020

How much does a music lawyer cost?

Typically, a music lawyer will charge 5%. It could be 5% of a specific contract or 5% of your earnings from the music and entertainment business and your fee agreement should be clear on this.Jan 8, 2018

What does an entertainment lawyer do?

What is an entertainment lawyer? An entertainment lawyer is a law professional who specializes in legal matters related to the entertainment industry. Entertainment lawyers may focus on advising clients on entertainment contract laws, intellectual property or entertainment labor laws.Apr 8, 2021

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Highest paid lawyers: salary by practice area
  • Tax attorney (tax law): $122,000.
  • Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
  • Employment lawyer: $87,000.
  • Real Estate attorney: $86,000.
  • Divorce attorney: $84,000.
  • Immigration attorney: $84,000.
  • Estate attorney: $83,000.
  • Public Defender: $63,000.
Apr 24, 2022

Do entertainment lawyers make a lot of money?

The average annual salary for Entertainment Attorneys is approximately $117,600. The salary range for Entertainment Attorneys runs from $77,000 to $186,000.Jul 5, 2019

Are entertainment lawyers in demand?

Entertainment Lawyer Growth Trend

Jobs for lawyers, including entertainment lawyers, are expected to increase 9 percent in the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS.
Jan 20, 2022

Who was Gucci Mane lawyer?

XXL got Gucci Mane's lawyer, Drew Findling, on the phone to explain why his client's release date was pushed up to today.May 26, 2016

How much do Nintendo lawyers make?

550 Nintendo of America employees have shared their salaries on Glassdoor. Select your job title and find out how much you could make at Nintendo of America.
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Nintendo of America Salaries.
Job TitleSalary
Lawyer salaries - 1 salaries reported$190,589/yr
Corporate Counsel salaries - 1 salaries reported$217,707/yr
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How long does it take to complete law school?

How long does it take to become a lawyer? If you study full time, it will take about five or six years to qualify as a solicitor. This includes a three-year law degree, the SQE assessments and two-years of qualifying legal work experience.

Unions, Groups, Social Media, and Associations

Entertainment Attorneys and students of entertainment law can join the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers. Moo also suggests networ...

What Is The Single Biggest Suggestion You Would Give to Someone Wanting to Get Into This Career?

“Try and have more of a broad set of classes you take. For example, learning tax law was really helpful for me but I also wish I would’ve learned l...

What’S The #1 Mistake People Make When Trying to Get Into This Career?

“It’s great to have drive and focus and I respect that. It’s great to be passionate but the reality is that the entertainment industry is only so b...

What Is The Question People Should Ask About This Career but Rarely do?

“The thing they should ask themselves beforehand is ‘Is this something I really want to do?’ They should really investigate and learn what it means...

If You Could Describe in One Word What Makes You Successful, What Would It be?

“Perseverance. Honestly, there’s going to be a lot of stuff that goes wrong along the way and that’s just life in general. There have definitely be...

What does a music lawyer do?

For superstar level clients, the Music Lawyer may also assist in licensing their image for merchandising purposes or handling the paperwork on sponsorship/endorsement deals. They may even get involved in non-business legal matters , such as prenuptial agreements or divorce settlements.

What is entertainment attorney?

Entertainment Attorneys help their clients to understand legal agreements, ensuring that the terms are in their clients’ best interests. They work with Recording Groups, Record Producers, Songwriters, Music Publishers, Record Label Executives, Music Producers, and Composers. They negotiate recording, merchandising, touring and publishing contracts, as well as Producer agreements.

What do people think of entertainment attorneys?

When most people think of Entertainment Attorneys they envision a flashy, high-powered office and an intense workload. While this is certainly the case at many big-name firms, other Attorneys find this type of corporate environment doesn’t sit well with their creative clients.

Is law school expensive?

Law school is very expensive and you have to consider this before getting into that much debt. Try to learn. There are lots of books and blogs out there, lots of ways to learn about the industry. There’s a great book called All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman.

What is the best book about music?

There’s a great book called All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman. That’s a terrific book to read because it gives a real overview of how the industry is. Figure out what kind of music you like. If you can find great music and bring it to a company or develop it yourself that’s super valuable.

What does Moo say about being successful?

Of the experience and skills necessary to become successful, Moo says, “it goes back to just being good with people. A lot of clients have said to me, ‘You’re so easy to talk to; the last Entertainment Attorney I talked to was a real jerk and made me feel stupid.’ It’s not brain surgery. Anything in law can be made simple. My goal is to explain a lot of things so people understand.

Who is Kamal Moo?

Los Angeles-based Entertainment Attorney and Manager Kamal Moo focuses on indie artists and labels, having worked with a wide range of clients from Grammy-nominated hip-hop violinist Josh Vietti to Warped Tour and ex-Epitaph Records band I Set My Friends on Fire.

What do lawyers need to know?

Lawyers require extensive legal knowledge . They must have a Juris Doctor degree, and must also pass the bar exam before they can practice law. They often specialize in a specific field of law, such as criminal law, business law or immigration law. Entertainment lawyers focus on the entertainment industry. They work with contracts in the music, ...

What are the responsibilities of an entertainment lawyer?

Job Responsibilities. Provide legal counsel to businesses and individuals in the entertainment industry; negotiate contracts and handle issues related to defamation, copyright, and intellectual property; argue in court when necessary. Licensure.

What is entertainment law?

Entertainment lawyers focus on the entertainment industry. They work with contracts in the music, television, film and publishing industries. They advise clients on the terms of the contract, alert them to any concerns with the contract, and may also draft contracts for companies or individuals.

What degree do you need to be an arbitrator?

They need a bachelor's degree, a familiarity with the law, and the ability to recommend contract terms for the parties to agree on.

What degree do paralegals need?

They are required to have an associate's degree.

What an Entertainment lawyer can do for you

If you are an entertainer, movie producer, or musician, an entertainment lawyer can assist you with important legal issues, including intellectual property rights. Hiring an entertainment attorney will enable you to negotiate or write your contracts, deal with intellectual property issues, and work on publication deals.

Why hire an Entertainment attorney

Entertainment lawyers provide services to the entertainment industry, including film, music, television, theater, publishing, visual arts, and multimedia. They also represent sports stars and other celebrities. Entertainment lawyers negotiate and write contracts, deal with intellectual property issues, and practice employment and labor law.

Did you know?

Although entertainment lawyers do assist their clients with legal decisions such as contracts, compensation, real estate purchases, etc., entertainment attorneys also use their skills to help further a client's career.

What is entertainment law?

Entertainment law may provide remedies for the aggrieved party, or non-breaching party. In some cases, a monetary damages award may be available to the non-breaching party. Should the recording artist breach the contract, damages may be available to the recording label.

What is master recording?

A master recording is the original version of a song. The owner of the master has control over financial gains from the recordings. In many cases, record contracts are structured so the label, not the artist, owns the masters of all songs created during the contract duration.

What is a contract between two parties?

A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties . Contracts can be in written or oral form but are, in most cases, written and signed by all parties. There are many types of contracts including, but not limited to: Sales agreements; Real estate purchase contracts; Employment contracts;

What is a recording contract?

A recording contract is a specific type of contract involving music. It usually outlines the terms for recording artists. These types of contracts include topics such as: Payment; Song recording; Royalties; and/or. Any other issue related to music production. These types of recording contracts can also be known as a:

What is exclusivity agreement?

Payments for royalties. An exclusivity agreement is contained in nearly all record contracts. This is similar to a non-compete clause. This is a clause that states the recording artist will not be permitted to record for any other production company for the duration of the contract.

Is time money?

As they say, time is money. If you’re not investing money , you’re investing time into the creative aspects of music production or learning the business. You will be doing a lot of learning so prepare yourself. Unless you have a lot of disposable income and you can pay a bunch of people, you will have to do things yourself.

Is it more fantasy or reality to leave everything behind?

In popular culture, we romanticize the idea of leaving everything behind and head to the big city to pursue our passion. Unfortunately, more often than not, it’s more fantasy than reality.

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