what is a music entertainment lawyer

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.

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How to become an entertainment lawyer?

Oct 26, 2018 · What Does an Entertainment Lawyer Do? 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 Advertising Internet TV/Radio Theater

Who are some of entertainment lawyers?

Jun 12, 2009 · 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.

What does an entertainment lawyer do?

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 …

What do entertainment lawyers charge?

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 is the role of an entertainment lawyer?

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

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.

What is a music lawyer called?

Working closely with Record Producer, Concert Promoters, and Recording Artists, the Music Lawyer gets the deal done! Also known as an Entertainment Lawyer, you have great knowledge of the music industry and the companies that produce records.

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.

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

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

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

Where do entertainment lawyers make the most money?

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entertainment Attorney JobsCityAnnual SalaryHourly WageManhattan, NY$103,718$49.86Barnstable Town, MA$102,913$49.48Cambridge, MA$102,724$49.39San Mateo, CA$101,937$49.016 more rows

Why do musicians need lawyers?

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 is the highest paid lawyer?

Highest paid lawyers: salary by practice areaPatent attorney: $180,000.Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.Trial attorneys: $134,000.Tax attorney (tax law): $122,000.Corporate lawyer: $115,000.Employment lawyer: $87,000.Real Estate attorney: $86,000.Divorce attorney: $84,000.More items...•Dec 14, 2021

What type of lawyer gets paid most?

Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:Medical 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?

540 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

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 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 entertainment lawyer?

What is an entertainment lawyer? Unlike divorce or corporate lawyers, an entertainment lawyer represents and protects the interests of creatives, companies and others in the many areas of the entertainment industry, such as film, television, new media, theater, publishing and music.

Which states offer competitive financial advantages for productions?

Many states outside of California and New York offer competitive financial advantages for productions, making it attractive to creatives on a budget to film in these other locations with local crew and other resources at their disposal.

How much does a retainer cost?

It may start at $1000 for contractual and/or advisement issues and go up to $100,000 should they be retained for litigation. Before agreeing to any terms with an entertainment lawyer, inquire about their retainer fee.

What is intellectual property?

Intellectual property, or IP, is big business. From a screenwriter’s spec script to a musician’s original song, anything created within this industry necessitates protection from those who may want to buy it, option it, license it—or infringe upon it with unauthorized use. An entertainment lawyer can see to it that a client’s intellectual property is handled properly and protected when copyright or trademark issues arise.

Can an entertainment lawyer be hired as an employee?

Unless you are potentially forming a company that would require the ongoing services of an entertainment lawyer, they would not be hired as an employee. Rather, they are a contractor who is part of a law firm or the proprietor of their own business.

Is entertainment lawyer specialized?

The nature of work for an entertainment lawyer is highly specialized. That in part explains the costly fees for them. However, it also indicates the extensive education they must attain to be skilled at their job.

Where is Anna Keizer?

Anna Keizer originally hails from the Chicagoland area. After receiving her B.A. in Film/Video from Columbia College Chicago, she moved to California and finished her M.A. in Film Studies from Chapman University. She has also graduated from UCLA’s Writing for Television Professional Program and is currently in post-production on the short She Had It Coming, which she wrote and is executive producing.

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 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 some examples of legal representation?

Typical examples include writers' strikes, defamation suits and contract negotiations. You can represent individuals, like actors and directors, and firms, such as production companies. You'll apply your extensive training in areas such as copyright, contract and intellectual property law.

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 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 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.

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.

Why do entertainers hire lawyers?

The most common reason that an entertainer hires a lawyer is to review, draft, or negotiate a contract.

What is retainer in a lawyer?

Many attorneys ask for a retainer, which is an advance payment for legal work. The amount of the retainer is included in the attorney-client fee agreement. The fee agreement is negotiated between you and your lawyer and establishes the payments and the lawyer's responsibilities.

How much do attorneys charge per hour?

Understand up front that most attorneys bill on an hourly basis (often between $300 and $700 an hour) and send a bill at the end of each month. Some attorneys bill on a fixed-fee basis, in which you pay a set amount for services (expect to pay $5,000 to $25,000 to negotiate a major entertainment deal, for instance).

How to choose an attorney?

Don't choose an attorney purely based on his or her "know-how." Consider also style and personality. While these qualities might seem superficial, remember that you may spend long hours working together. You may prefer to be represented by an attorney whose style and demeanor correspond with yours. Do you want someone aggressive? Ambitious? Accommodating? Serious? Boisterous?

Should entertainers love their attorney?

An entertainer does not need to love his or her attorney, but should at least respect and trust the attorney's abilities as a hired professional. As a general rule, you should switch attorneys (fire one and hire another) if you are unhappy with the services you've received.

Is the internet secure?

The Internet is not necessarily secure and emails sent through this site could be intercepted or read by third parties. Entertainment professionals often need the services of lawyers. Whether you are an actor, director, dancer, or musician, there are various legal services that could prove essential to your career.

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.

Who is the leader of Sony Music?

As leader of the New York-based Sony Music Entertainment team, Swidler has been at the forefront of modernizing the company’s artist contracts and updating its royalties reporting systems, enabling profit participants to collect earnings faster. She also championed the company’s nonpartisan U.S. voter campaign, Your Voice, Your Power, Your Vote. Working alongside her, Bondell completed more than 75 major artist, label and distribution deals across the U.K., Canada, Continental Europe and Asia in the past year, while helping finalize over 30 international COVID-19 relief charity projects. Walker focuses on the worlds of social media and gaming, working with digital service providers to create innovative exploitation models covering everything from live concerts to fitness classes. He’s also a key driver of the company’s social and racial justice task force, formed last year. Meisel oversees company’s investments, ranging from merch, promotion and podcasting to labels and live events, including the recent acquisitions of artist distribution and services company Human ReSources and U.K.-based music merchandiser Probity.

Who is the music practice of Manatt?

Manatt’s music practice has done more than just score big deals for its big-name clients, who include Steve Perry, Peter Frampton, Jackson Browne, Wynonna Judd, Chuck D and Public Enemy, George Benson, Styx, Death Cab for Cutie, Pat Benatar, Sly Stone, Michael McDonald, Courtney Love, Daniel Lanois, Tracy Chapman, Fall Out Boy, Marshmello, Debbie Harry and Debbie Gibson. It’s fought to make sure musicians of all stripes can keep working. In 2020, Bromley was the lead negotiator in the effort to secure a comprehensive music industry exemption to California’s AB5, a law that threatened to cripple the state’s “gig economy” in music. The firm has also been making big deals buying and selling music catalogs, with Phillips closing major financing deals for Burt Bacharach and Paul Anka with Primary Wave Music, and Biederman completing nearly a billion dollars in transactions for clients in the space. The firm has also helped clients navigate the pandemic, with Tashman taking the lead in negotiating and designing frameworks for self-distributed releases and digital alternatives to traditional concerts.

Who is the CEO of Universal Music Group?

Also honored for their work in music are Universal Music Group’s Jeffrey Harleston, who is the company’s general counsel and executive VP of business and legal affairs and is the interim chairman/CEO of its Def Jam label, and power attorney Kenny Meiselas, who reps the Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Jhene Aiko and many others.

Who are Rogers and Rose?

Atlanta-based litigators and dealmakers Rogers and Rose joined Fox Rothschild in September 2020, on the heels of winning an appellate decision for rapper Rick Ross upholding the dismissal of a suit by 50 Cent for Ross using his song “In Da Club” on a promotional mixtape. The duo has also litigated cases for actors, musicians and media figures such as Steve Harvey, Mo’Nique, K. Michelle, Lil Duval and Mizay Entertainment. They also secured major deals for their clients with such companies as Nike, Revolt and Savage X Fenty.