what can an entertainment lawyer do for your music career?

by Mr. Chase Koss DVM 7 min read

Entertainment Attorneys handle all legal matters for musicians. This includes contractual agreements, negotiating, advice, and counseling. Entertainment Attorneys help their clients to understand legal agreements, ensuring that the terms are in their clients’ best interests.

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.Jul 3, 2020

Full Answer

What does a music lawyer do?

What Do Entertainment Lawyers Do? One of the key things entertainment lawyers do is examine and negotiate contracts and deals. Most of their day is spent meeting with clients, labels, and other lawyers. They then draft arrangements, land booking agents or concert deals and deal with a myriad of other agreements. Not to be confused with a music manager, an entertainment …

What does an entertainment attorney do for a living?

Jul 03, 2020 · Entertainment Attorneys handle all legal matters for musicians. This includes contractual agreements, negotiating, advice, and counseling. Alternate Titles Music Attorney, Lawyer, Attorney Avg. Salary $117,567 1 Salary Range $77K-$186K 1 How To Become an Entertainment Attorney Career Description

What degree do I need to be an entertainment lawyer?

Dec 19, 2017 · as a lawyer, we’re handling all their transactional entertainment deals, including record deals, publishing deals, sponsorship and endorsement deals, merchandising agreements, touring and other appearance agreements, licensing agreements, management agreements, acting agreements, and any agreements related to their release of music, including …

Is it easy to become an attorney in music law?

One of the key functions of a music lawyer (and entertainment lawyer) is that of a deal maker. The entertainment industry, and specifically the music industry, can be very contract-heavy. An entertainment attorney that works as a music lawyer will review and, often, draft contract to protect the interests of his or her clients.

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What is music entertainment law?

Entertainment law is a broad term used to cover the areas of law necessary to provide legal service to persons in the entertainment industry such as artists, producers, musicians, writers, publishers, managers, filmmakers, photographers, and game companies.

What does a lawyer do for an artist?

A music lawyer acts as a compass in complex scenarios, protecting clients' interests through the lens of the law while connecting dots at a high level. In other words, if a publishing deal undervalues an artist, the lawyer demands more dough.Jan 25, 2019

Are entertainment lawyers in demand?

Entertainment Lawyer Growth Trend The predicted growth rate for all occupations is 8 percent. Entertainment lawyer jobs are usually affected by the economy and the health of the entertainment industry which – including streaming services, music downloads and television revenue – continues to remain strong.Jan 20, 2022

Do entertainment lawyers make a lot of money?

The salaries of Entertainment Lawyers in the US range from $10,018 to $187,200 , with a median salary of $18,674 . The middle 57% of Entertainment Lawyers makes between $18,674 and $74,346, with the top 86% making $187,200.

What is a music lawyer called?

Entertainment AttorneyEntertainment Attorneys handle all legal matters for musicians. This includes contractual agreements, negotiating, advice, and counseling.Jul 3, 2020

How do you become an entertainment lawyer?

How to Become an Entertainment Lawyer?Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree.Step 2: Take the LSAT Exam.Step 3: Get a Law Degree.Step 4: Enrol in the Bar Council.Step 5: Start with Internship and Explore Job Opportunities.Step 6: Continue Your Education.Diploma in Media Law.PG 1- Year Diploma in Media Law.More items...•Nov 5, 2021

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Medical lawyers are among the highest-paid types of lawyers and earn one of the highest median salaries in the legal field.

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Types Of Lawyers That Make The Most MoneyMedical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ... Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ... Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ... Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ... Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.Dec 18, 2020

How much do Nintendo lawyers make?

543 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....Nintendo of America Salaries.Job TitleSalaryLawyer salaries - 1 salaries reported$186,163/yrCorporate Counsel salaries - 1 salaries reported$212,652/yr2 more rows

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 do media and entertainment lawyers do?

Lawyers specializing in the field are required to act as commercial-legal production counsels for advising, structuring and negotiating deals across various production and distribution models, for syndication and licensing of content for domestic and international film distribution across platforms (traditional and new ...Mar 5, 2020

What is a film lawyer?

Expert Sources: Samantha Herman. Date: July 5, 2019. Entertainment Lawyers manage all legal matters for Writers, Directors, Producers, Actors, and sometimes below the line crew. This includes contractual agreements, negotiations, advice, and counseling.Jul 5, 2019

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.

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 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.

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.

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 do you look for in a lawyer?

We always look for strong academic performance, great writing and communication skills, and ideally some transactional experience as a Lawyer. While in law school, “Contracts” is essential (and required at most schools), and copyright and trademark courses are very important.

Who is Paul Rothenberg?

To learn more about what it takes to get a foot-in-the-door with a potential employer and build a fulfilling career in entertainment law, we spoke with Paul Rothenberg, founder of New York and LA-based firm Rothenberg P.C.

Who is Alison Stolpa?

Alison Stolpa is a Blogger, Publicist, and Music Writer. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she worked at the award-winning student station, Radio K, and a graduate of the University of Westminster's Music Business MA program. She has worked at Amoeba Records and Electric Fetus Records and interned at Atlantic Jaxx/Accidental ...

What can a music attorney do?

A music attorney can help with a wide range of legal services. While this list is by no means exhaustive, here are the three most common type of services that we handle for our clients.

Why is it important to have a music lawyer?

A good music lawyer is essential to your success in the music and entertainment business. Having an entertainment lawyer experienced with the inner workings of the music industry could be the difference between either a long and successful career in the music industry or a “could have been” status.

What is a music lawyer?

While this might be the most over-looked services that a music attorney can offer, it is one of the most important. Music lawyers are entertainment lawyers that have a general knowledge of the inner workings of the music industry (if the attorney is good at least).

Where do entertainment lawyers work?

Entertainment lawyers can work in law firms or as in-house counsel for corporations. This type of attorney tends to practice in entertainment hubs such as New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Nashville, though some find employment across the nation.

How to become an entertainment lawyer?

The first step one must take to become an entertainment lawyer is earning a bachelor’s degree from a college or university. After completing the four years of undergraduate study, the student then takes the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

What is entertainment law?

Entertainment law, sometimes referred to as “media law,” provides various legal services to individuals and businesses involved in the entertainment industry. This area of law covers all different types of media including: Film. Music. Publishing.

What do lawyers do after graduation?

After graduating, many lawyers begin their careers by working as law clerks after graduation. Since it is a very specialized field, it is not uncommon for entertainment lawyers to work in a different area of law before finding a job in the entertainment industry.

Do attorneys need retainers?

Regardless of whether the attorney charges hourly or a flat rate fee, they may also require a retainer. A retainer is a portion of the estimated total costs paid to the lawyer up front. The retainer is put into a special account and is used as the lawyer works on the case.

Is entertainment law a separate legal discipline?

TV/Radio. Theater. Entertainment law is not considered a separate legal discipline, but rather a blend of traditional legal disciplines, such as contract law, intellectual property law, and business law.

What is a music lawyer?

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. While their duties are similar to those of other lawyers, ...

What is a recording agreement?

Signing a recording agreement is a big step in any artist’s career, especially for the ones who are new to the industry. However, artists may unknowingly agree to terms that might not be favorable to them in the long run, like selling their rights to a record label.

What is Chase Lawyers?

Chase Lawyers is an entertainment law firm comprised of veteran attorneys with considerable experience in the music industry.

What to Know Before You Seek an Attorney to Represent You

Heather McDonald wrote about music careers for The Balance Careers. She has worked in the music industry for over two decades.

Determine Your Needs

Music lawyers are under the umbrella of entertainment law, and many specialize in a certain part of the music industry. Understanding what you need legal help with will make it easier for you to find a lawyer who is up to the task. Knowing whether you are looking to build a long-term relationship with a lawyer is also something to consider.

How to Find a Lawyer

Once you know what you need from a lawyer, start asking those in your music industry circles. You are almost certain to know someone who has had to visit a lawyer for a music industry issue before.

Meet With Your Short List

Whether you do it by phone or in person, have a brief question and answer session with your short list of lawyers. Find out what they specialize in, how soon they can work on your case, how much they charge and what their payment terms are. If you get a bad feeling or just don't hit it off with a candidate, don't feel any obligation to hire them.

What is the best job in the entertainment industry?

For people who like variety and physical work, some of the best jobs in the entertainment industry are roadie jobs . Roadies are key members of touring teams. For a smaller act, a roadie might wear many hats in order to take care of the various tasks that support a performance.

How does music help people?

Music can help people learn how to express themselves, improve their cognitive function, and enable them to become better at dealing with stress.

What does an agent do?

Agents book performers' live appearances at events such as concerts or festivals. They also arrange things like commercials or sponsorships. Agents usually earn a percentage of what a concert or other appearance brings in. But because they aren't usually involved in recording projects, they don't get a share of music sales.

How many hours do people listen to music?

After all, people listen to more music now than they did just a few years ago. It's true: According to Nielsen, people spent 23 hours a week listening to music. By 2018, that number grew to 32 hours. That's just one factor behind the 12-percent increase in music revenues from 2017 to 2018 alone.

What is background singing?

Session singing (i.e., working "for hire"—usually without being publicly credited—on projects such as commercials or TV shows) Similarly, jobs for musicians can involve performing as part of a large orchestra, as a member of a band, or as a solo performer.

How much do music producers make?

All told, it's an exciting time to be a music producer. On average, music producers make about $95,000 a year. But that average is skewed by the extremely high earnings of the most famous producers. So how much you earn will likely depend on the demand for your services and the success of the projects you work on.

Do you love music and video games?

Do you love both music and video games? If so, you know how music can shape players' gaming experiences. As the gaming industry continues to grow, new opportunities are becoming available in video game development, including jobs for composers who create the music that sets the mood.

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