Music Law: How to Run Your Band’s Business
- ISBN13: 9781413310566
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
The No. 1 bestselling business book for bands!
If you belong to a band and love the art of your job, but sing the blues when it comes to the business side, you need Music Law. Composed by musician and lawyer Richard Stim, the book explains how to:
find the right manager
buy, insure and maintain equipment
get gigs and get paid
tour on a budget
use samples
do covers legally
protect your copyright
trademark your band’s name
choose a recording studio
sell your music
manage your website
understand record contracts
deal with taxes
Music Law provides all the legal information and practical advice musicians need. The 6th edition is thoroughly updated with the latest changes in copyright and trademark law, including guidance on filling out “Form CO.” Plus, find expanded information on musical collaborations between DJs and other musicians. You’ll also get the most u… More >>
Music Law: How to Run Your Band’s Business
Being a singer/songwriter, and not having as much information as I was like, I was wanting to find a reliable resource on the legal matters relating to the music business. I, by chance, came across this book, and heard that it was a very informative and dependable book on the legal side of the music business, so I ordered it. The most appealing thing for me had to be the fact that it was written by a lawyer (Rich Stim) who has been in the music business himself, I liked that.
The book is laid out very simply with 17 chapters some appendixes and a supplemental cd-rom that has government forms on it for things such and copy writing, which is definitely nice. It is a book I will keep around and use a lot as I progress and am able to do more in music. I wont bother with long drawn out explanations, the bottom line is, if you are or want to be in a band or write music: READ THIS BOOK!
God Bless ~Amy
Rating: 5 / 5
All I can say is Nolo almost never disappoints, and they’ve done it again here. If you have a band and are struggling to navigate the music business waters, get this life raft!
Rating: 4 / 5
This book is an introduction to the many aspects of law that are relevant for musicians. Stimm is an intellectual property attorney as well as a musician himself, so he is well-acquainted with the legal issues that musicians often run up against. The book is thorough in its coverage; it includes chapters on band agreements, legal entities for bands (e.g. partnerships or corporations), managers, attorneys, equipment ownership, performance contracts, copyright law, publishing music and getting paid, protecting band names, album artwork, recording, distributor and consignment contracts, record company agreements, online legal issues, and taxes. As with other NOLO products, the accompanying CD-ROM includes copies of the sample contracts and agreements described in the text.
This book was a real eye-opener – I had no idea there were so many ways to get into trouble if you’re just trying to make some music. But what Simm does is explain what situations are likely to cause trouble, and how to avoid trouble from the outset by making everyone’s expectations clear and putting them in writing. Simm also explains how to tell if you’re over your head and need to hire an attorney (before signing a big recording contract, for instance). The sample contracts in the book are well-thought out and in written in plain English, easily modifiable to fit your particular circumstances. Worried about including a cover song on your band’s album? Simm explains how to do this legally–it’s a lot easier and cheaper than you might expect, and allows you promote the album through all media without fear of lawsuits. This book should be considered essential equipment for any professional musician.
Rating: 5 / 5
My wife writes and performs her own songs. We got this book to understand what is needed in order to go to the next step. This book has provided very useful information from copyrighting your songs (includes a step by step guide), to legal issues regarding the artwork of the CDs, website names, trademarks, servicemarks, contracts, etc. Our idea is to start selling online so we did not pay much attention to the contracts between agents and bands but the rest of the information has been very educational for us. The booked is geared towards bands but if you are a one person performer, the information is equally useful. For bands, it even talks about how a band usually splits any money they make between song writers and other musicians. It also covers songs been played on the radio, covering other people’s songs, and a lot more. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in making their music career into a formal business.
Rating: 5 / 5
Every NOLO book I’ve read has delivered what it said it would. This book does the same. There are no arcane insights into a bunch of legal hypotheticals here. All that’s in this book is a collection of very solid and useful advice. It is certainly not the be all or end all, but it is a great starting point for figuring out how to make your way in a notoriously predatory business, getting screwed over or ripped off as little as possible. A must for the aspiring or neophyte professional musician!
Rating: 5 / 5