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Music Publishing Agreement
Download Music Publishing Agreement in word format. Simply download edit, save and reuse as many times as you need.
Music Publishing Agreement
A Music Publishing Agreement between a music publisher and a songwriter.
- Publisher is licensed to publish songs for a specified period
- Within a territory
- Rights in songs revert to songwriter after contract expires
- Advances paid to songwriter
- Royalties
- Accounting & reporting procedures
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Commentary
Entertainment Industry Agreements
9 Interstate Representatives 6
Entertainment is an industry which by its nature crosses many State borders. Each State in Australia has a different set of legislation that applies to it. Only New South Wales requires licensing.
The Entertainment Industry Act 1989 (NSW) (the Act) controls the relationship between managers, agents and performers. It provides a system of licensing, regulates commission rates, sets out obligations, and provides for penalties.
The definition of ‘performer’ for the purposes of the Act includes any actor, singer, dancer, acrobat, model, musician or other performer of any kind.
The Act is administered by the NSW Department of Industrial Relations. The Act regulates the professional activities of all people acting as entertainment industry representatives. It divides these into the following categories.
1 Agents
Entertainment Industry Agents are defined as anyone who;
for financial benefit, carries out any one or more of the following entertainment industry activities on behalf of a performer:
(a) seeking or finding work opportunities for the performer;
(b) negotiating the terms of an agreement for, and the conditions of, a performance;
(c) finalising arrangements concerning the payment of the performer;
(d) negotiating arrangements relating to the attendance of the performer at a performance;
(e) administering the contract of the performer with an entertainment industry employer but does not include a person who carries out those activities solely as an employee of any such agents.
This applies to anyone who performs these functions for ‘financial benefit’. (This expression covers more than actually being paid money. It covers receiving indirect benefits such as contras and the like.)
2 Managers
Managers are defined by the Act as being:
a person (whether called a personal representative or a personal manager, or otherwise) who, for financial benefit, represents a performer and who agrees, pursuant to a written agreement, to carry out or arrange to be carried out any or all of the activities of an entertainment industry agent and other additional activities or duties specified in the agreement on behalf of the performer but does not include a person who carries out those activities or duties solely as an employee of any such manager.
In effect, the definition means that a manager may perform the five functions of an agent but must also perform additional activities or duties for the artist. It is these additional obligations that give rise to the manager’s right to charge a greater commission. Given this, it is important that management agreements make it very clear exactly what duties and obligations are being undertaken by the manager in addition to the five functions of an agent.
For a manager to be a ‘manager’ under the terms of the Act, they must have a written agreement with the performer. Unless the manager has a written agreement the ‘manager’ is restricted to the percentage payable to agents. This is why managers in New South Wales (at least those who know what they are doing) do not do ‘hand-shake’ deals any more.
3 Venue Consultants
This is defined as being:
a person who acts on behalf of an entertainment industry employer, for a fee or remuneration paid by any such employer and who arranges for a performance by a performer at a particular venue, but does not include a person who arranges for a performance solely as an employee of a venue consultant or an employer.
This means that venues can arrange for performances without a licence, but anyone arranging performances on a venue’s behalf in return for any payment, has to be licensed.
4 Licences & Fees
All ‘entertainment industry representatives’ must have a licence from the NSW Department of Industrial Relations. The licence fees are available on the Departments website.
The expression ‘Entertainment Industry Representative’ is defined by the Act as meaning an agent, manager or venue consultant. If you work in more than one capacity, you need a licence for each of those activities. For example, being a licensed manager does not authorise you to act as a venue consultant. Venue consultants have their own particular licences.
Applicants for any licence must be ‘fit and proper’,over 18 years; and with knowledge and experience in the industry. There are no hard and fast rules as to who is ‘fit and proper’.
The last prerequisite is usually met by anyone who can show a reasonable period of activity in the industry or in an area closely related to the activity for which the licence is sought. Would-be managers who have been performers can usually demonstrate sufficient knowledge from having worked in the industry for a reasonable time.
Successful applicants receive ‘provisional’ licences for the initial 12 months. Licences must be renewed annually. This way, the Department has the opportunity to review licensees who have had complaints lodged against them and can attach conditions to a particular licence.
There are still many managers working in New South Wales who do not know that they have to be licensed. Unlicensed representatives face penalties of up to $25,000 and may not be able to enforce their management contracts. The Act sets maximum fees that industry representatives can charge. These are set out in the Regulations.
4.1 Agents
Regulation 5 states that the maximum percentage that may be charged is as follows:
(a) in the case of an engagement involving film, television or electronic media – 10%;
(b) in the case of an engagement involving live theatre or a live musical or variety performance (being an engagement that does not involve film, television or electronic media) – 10% for any period up to 5 weeks and then 5% for any period after 5 weeks;
(c) in all other cases – 10%.
The regulation goes on to state that:
the following amounts (being amounts payable to performers) are to be excluded when calculating the percentage of fees or other remuneration that an entertainment industry agent or a manager may demand or receive for or in respect of the engagement of a performer:
(a) travelling and meal allowances;
(b) holiday pay;
(c) any long service leave and superannuation payments;
(d) any overtime or penalty payments which are paid on an irregular basis;
(e) any award or minimum payments in respect of rehearsals.
4.2 Managers
Section 38 (4) of the Act states that where there is no written agreement between manager and artist ‘in respect of an engagement’ the manager is limited to charging the agent’s commission of 10%. This is considerably below the usual 15%-20% allowed by most written management agreements.
The reference to ‘engagements’ is ambiguous. This term is not defined in the Act but usually would be given a restricted meaning, namely, ‘contracts for live performance’. This would exclude other income such as endorsements and royalties – whether from records or merchandising. If this is so and you are acting as a manager in NSW, unless you have a written agreement with the artist you cannot charge more than 10% for income from live work but may be able to charge the usual rates on everything else.
4.3 Venue Consultants
In the past, people who performed two functions often charged two fees. For example, if the performer’s agent also acted as a consultant to the venue, they would often charge the act for obtaining the employment and would charge the venue for obtaining the act. This kind of behaviour was always a clear conflict of duty. Under the Entertainment Industry Act, it is also illegal.
Venue consultants can only receive payment from the venue/employer. The Act also makes it illegal for the venue to deduct any money from the performer’s income and pay it to the venue consultant.
In times past, some performers’ agents often acted simultaneously as the venue consultant and charged both parties a fee for placing the performer in the venue. Now, if the performer’s agent also happens to be a consultant to the venue in respect of the performance, the agent can only charge the venue. If the performer’s manager happens to be a consultant to the venue, the manager can collect a commission from the performer but cannot also charge the venue, unless the manager and the performer have a written agreement that permits this.
5 Trust Accounts
The Act prohibits performers’ funds being mixed up with those of the agent or manager. If entertainment industry agents or managers hold money on behalf of their performer clients, they must establish a separate trust account for each artist. The requirements for the accounts are set out in the Regulations. The artist’s money cannot be held for more than 14 days after the performer becomes entitled to receive it.
6 Financial Record Keeping
Entertainment industry agents and managers who receive money on behalf of a performer, must maintain proper financial accounts on behalf of that artist. These must be accurate and properly maintained so that they show the true position as regards money received on the performer’s behalf. These financial records must be kept at the representative’s principal place of business and be made available to the performer upon request.
The Regulations also require that, where an agent or manager receives money on behalf of a performer, that person must provide certain minimum information to the performer and any other agent or manager who acted for the performer, in respect of that particular performance:
(a) a statement of the amount received by the agent or the manager on behalf of the performer; and
(b) a statement of the amount paid to the performer for the engagement.
In addition, the manager or agent who receives money on behalf of the performer must provide a statement to the employer (or other person) who paid the performer for the engagement with a statement setting out the amount of money received from that employer.
7 Bonds
If entertainment industry agents and managers hold performers’ money, they must lodge a bond with the NSW Department of Industrial Relations. The amount of the bond is $2,000 unless otherwise determined by the Department. This bond can be either be in the form of cash, bank guarantee or other security approved by the Department. If entertainment industry agents are not holding performers’ money, they do not need to lodge a bond.
If the agent or manager does anything that causes the performer loss, the Department may assist the performer by releasing all or part of the bond. It can then demand that the agent or manager lodge a further bond. If they fail to comply, the licence may be suspended until they pays the further bond.
8 Complaints Committee
Part 3 of the Act establishes a Complaints Committee to investigate complaints regarding:
(a) unfair or dishonest conduct;
(b) unfair entertainment industry contracts; and
(c) any failure to pay amounts owing under an award, industrial agreement or entertainment industry contract.
The Department handles any complaints internally. The complaints procedure is not complex. All that is required is a written complaint to the Department.
If the Department finds that a person is guilty of unfair or dishonest conduct it can order a penalty of up to $500. If it finds that an entertainment industry contract is unfair, harsh or unconscionable, it can redraft the offending clauses. Provided that the parties agree to be bound at the beginning of the inquiry, the Department can make orders in respect of any failure to pay moneys owed up to $20,000.
Section 12(4) states that ‘An entertainment industry contract or a provision of such a contract which has been fully executed may not be varied under this section’.
9 Interstate Representatives
The application of the Act to interstate managers and agents is uncertain. The prevailing view is that any entertainment industry agent, manager or venue consultant carrying on any business within New South Wales must be licensed. It is not relevant that the manager, agent, consultant or the performer is usually resident in another State. It is the location of the performance that determines jurisdiction.
10 Summary
The different branches of the entertainment industry are so varied that different agreements may be needed for different branches. Theatrical agents’ needs are quite different from those of musicians’ agents. Those of modelling agents differ from those of classical music agents. A selection is provided in this suite.
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