Music Law: How to Run Your Band's Business (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Some musicians recoil at the thought that their band is a business. They believe that their music is their art, and don't want to sully it with commerce. That's all well and good--but wouldn't you give up your day job if you had the chance? Music Law can help you see your band as a business and turn it into a successful one. Musician and attorney Richard Stim has filled this useful book with helpful advice on solving disputes between band members, dealing with lawyers, managers, and record companies, and even the increasingly important matter of sample clearance. The advice is extremely thorough; for example, the chapter on band names includes information on researching your band's name to ensure it isn't already in use, what happens if two bands have the same name, and even how to register your band's name and logo. Because he advises getting all agreements in writing, Stim has provided dozens of sample agreement forms, both as blank hard copies in the book and as templates on the enclosed disk. Throughout the book, Stim provides important legal advice, all translated from stilted legalese into simple English. Both big and little names get into these difficulties sometimes; the book is peppered with cautionary tales of real musicians and their legal squabbles. Music Law can help you avoid such pitfalls and get your band's business running smoothly--so you might be able to quit that day job, after all. --C.B. Delaney

Review

Lots of musicians hit the big time, enjoy a brief stint in the limelight, and much later are seen in a state not far from that in which they began their odyssey, which is to say fairly down and fairly out. It's the old myth: creative people can't be/don't have time to be/shouldn't have to be bothered with the drudgery of business. What happened when no one was looking, was that throughout the 20th Century, life for artists and entertainers became ever-increasingly complex. Types and amounts of taxes multiplied. The paradigm of big bucks from performances and little bucks, if any, from royalties and licensing was turned upside down and inside out. Publishing and derivative options increased. More than ever, musicians have to pay attention to the business side of the music and the intellectual property side of the business. Someone has finally written a book that really helps the music makers in their struggles with earning a living and retaining some of what they earn. Richard Stim starts with the basics: use an attorney on major deals; develop written agreements; treat your band (and by extension, your solo career) as a business. He moves on to partnership agreements (most bands are partnerships); taxes; attorney relations; performance agreements; and the entire panoply of copyright, recording and publishing issues. Well organized, practically designed, and clearly written, the book has one tiny fault. It should have been called Every Band's Business Bible. It's that good, and that necessary. -- From Independent Publisher

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Nolo; Bk&Disk edition (August 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087337438X
• ISBN-13: 978-0873374385
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,131,300 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #66 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Law > Business > Entertainment
  #67 in	Books > Nonfiction > Law > Business > Entertainment
  #96 in	Books > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Legal Guides

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most practical of the "how-to" music business books., October 1, 1998

By A Customer

I have read most of the books which attempt to explain music business law and practice to musicians, and this one is by far the MOST PRACTICAL and the MOST USEFUL. It is very clearly written by a lawyer who also teaches law and who formerly played in several "signed" bands. The book contains good explanations of music publishing and the record business, and you will want to read them even if you are intending to hire a lawyer. If you can't afford a lawyer yet, it provides actual documents (copyright registration forms, label-shopping agreements, etc.) on CD-ROM that you can tailor to your band's needs and use to get started. If you only plan to buy one book about "this business of music", THIS IS THE ONE TO GET.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Longer Stumbling Blindly, May 10, 2000

By A Customer

A friend forwarded me a copy of Mr. Stim's book, and I am very happy that they did. My band is in the beginning stages of securing an independent record deal. I found that after reading the book, I was able to go into a meeting with the record company and know what questions to ask. I had some clue as to what they were talking about! I like that he included the forms and instructions on how to fill them out. It is a good basic reference book to help you figure out what to do and how to do it in a straight forward manner! Thanks Nolo! You've done it again!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertainment Business from a basic English understanding, September 11, 2000

By	E. Peltier "doormouse" (North Arlington, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Approaching the music industry unarmed is similar to throwing a lame duck into a pool of festering sharks. It has the potential to be complete bloodshed all around. Whether a band trying to take the step from a basement experiment to the real world or a student considering the realm of entertainment as a career or a seasoned vet looking for that down-to-Earth interpretation of legalese, Music Law... can explain it all. From the standpoint of an educational tool, Music Law... acts as a great springboard into the complexities of the entertainment industry from more than a just a pure business and legal perspective. It approaches a series of complex industry issues with an ease of explanation which details nearly every issue that one would face in maintaining a music career. The finest quality of the Music Law... is the simplicity of the writing. Each chapter is broken down by subheads and cuts right to the meat-and-potatoes of issues everyone in the industry from a band, to a manager, to a label and beyond, has to face. The language is clear and concise, avoiding the convoluted language and overall wordiness business writing and legalese, while still explaining in detail the concepts at hand. Each real world example includes a simple, plain-English version of a contract or agreement to work in conjunction with the topic at hand, which is then dissected even further to define the points contract covers. By no means, however, should the scaled down versions of contracts and agreements in Music Law... be looked at as any more than a basic learning tool. There truly is no substitute for obtaining proper legal and business council or at least gaining a firmer understand of the subtitles of business writing and legal jargon. No simple turn of phrase carries the same weight as a properly worded and arranged contract and therefor the ideas presented in Music Law... should be treated as a guide to furthering your basic understanding of such wording rather than a substitute of such. The depth of the subjects Music Law... attempts to define and the breath of concepts it covers is stunning. From forming a band as a business entity, to touring and riders, to songwriting credits and royalty collection, to ownership issues and copyright and beyond, Music Law... takes more than a glancing look at it all in simple terms. Whether you are new to the entertainment business or an old hat looking at more simplistic detail Music Law... has the potential to be an invaluable resource to obtain a basic understanding of the business and legal aspects of the industry.