Legal Services

Whatever legal issue musicians are facing, for helping to recover unpaid fees or checking out a contract, the Musicians' Union can help with legal advice and more.

Legal services for members

Contract Advisory Service

We can help you make sure that you sign a fair and legal contract

Partnership Advice

Working in a band or with other musicians? We offer group-specific legal advice

Legal Advice & Assistance

Learn more about how musicians can benefit from specialist lawyer advice and assistance.

Non-Work Legal Helpline

Get quick help on family law, consumer law, property law, wills and trusts, and other legal issues through Morrish Solicitors

Personal Injury Claims

We provide a legal benefits package through Morrish Solicitors for you and your family, from personal injury services to low-cost wills

Unpaid Fee Recovery

We can help when you haven't been paid properly for your work

Ask Us First List

Members can seek assistance before engagements using the Ask Us First List

Legal advice

In Conversation: Exploring Partnership Law

Are you working in a band or with other musicians? Join Musicians’ Union In House Solicitor Dawn Rodger, and Tim Northrop from NMD Solicitors, as they explore what a partnership is in music business, why it’s important, and how to go about getting one.

Legal Webinars

Watch legal advice webinars provided by Scottish legal firm Harper Macleod. MU members can view all recordings to learn the legal side of being a musician. Videos include advice on rights, branding, contracts, sampling, copyright and more.

How to be Release Ready

We've partnered with PRS for Music to help explain how independent artists can protect their work and sign profitable agreements. Available only to MU members.

Over £3 Million Recovered for Musicians

In the last year, MU secured over £3,200,000 for musicians through:

Recovery of unpaid fees
Negotiation of contract settlements
Royalty distribution
Recovery of unlawful pay deductions
Negotiation of redundancy claims
Compensation claims for contractual breaches
Recovery of unpaid holiday pay

Your membership pays off.

Join MU today

Contact the Musicians' Union today

The MU has a network of experienced teams available to help musicians in all areas of the industry. If you have any questions about our services, membership or how the MU could help you, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Contact the MU

Latest news and features

The panellists sat on the stage with microphones, in front of a screen with saying

MU Panel Explores Rates, Rights and Royalties at Sound City 2026

At Liverpool Sound City Conference 2026, the MU brought together industry professionals and working musicians for its ‘Money in the Mix’ panel to demystify these issues and offer practical insights into building a sustainable career in session work.

Published: 11 May 2026

Bags, flight cases, gear piled in the boot of a small van.

Car and Home Insurance for Musicians: New MU Partnership Gives Members Access to Specialist Cover

How a new insurance initiative from the MU and its partner Howden could help level the playing field for working musicians.

Published: 30 April 2026

MU Announce ‘Money in the Mix Panel’ at Liverpool Sound City Conference Next Month

The MU will host a specialist panel discussion at the 2026 Liverpool Sound City Conference, bringing vital focus to rates of pay, rights, and royalties for session musicians working across the modern music industry. Members can also receive a discount on tickets.

Published: 22 April 2026

Blue sign at an airport saying 'Douanes francaises, French customs'.

France Confirms ELO Requirement from April 2026 But Uncertainty Remains for Musicians

France’s new Obligatory Logistics Envelope (ELO) — a digital customs system for declaring goods — will become mandatory from 20 April 2026. However, it remains unclear whether the rules apply to musicians taking merchandise into the country.

Published: 16 April 2026

Close up of women singing into a microphone on stage, with someone playing acoustic guitar to her right.

Council of Music Makers Statement on the Role of Collective Licensing

All parts of the UK’s live sector must recognise and uphold the value of songs and songwriters, says a new statement from the Council of Music Makers.

Published: 15 April 2026

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