The Musicians’ Union and Featured Artists Coalition, along with the manager’s body Music Managers Forum, have joined forces to create a sample, long form management agreement in response to the often unfair terms found in unchecked contracts brought forward by members of the three organisations.
The agreement is intended as a guidance tool for use by newer artists and managers entering the industry and who may not have knowledge of or access to fair contracts.
Whilst all three of the organisations involved recognise that there is no such thing as a “standard” contract and that artist-centric business models are constantly developing, they jointly agreed on the need for early protection for both parties.
Horace Trubridge, General Secretary Elect, Musicians’ Union, said, “This example management agreement grew out of the MU’s Contract Advisory Service, to which MU members submit contracts for legal scrutiny. Our lawyers raised concerns about the poor contract agreements widely available online to performers, managers, recording companies and others. Once both parties have signed an agreement, it’s very hard to do anything about it. By using this example management agreement, all parties can be confident that they are using a document that is up to date and fair to all concerned.”
Imogen Heap, Featured Artists Coalition, said, “"How I wish I had something like this when I was starting out as an artist. A really useful piece of collective work that I'm certain every artist at the start of his or her career will find invaluable. The FAC board members have some further thoughts on the AMP that our Pro members can read, as it is hard to cover everything in one document"
Fiona McGugan, Music Managers Forum, said, “This is a result of a lot of hard work and a long negotiation process, demonstrating how complex these things are. We hope that artists and managers will use this agreement to protect themselves in the early days but also to think entrepreneurially about their future partnerships as they become more attuned to the business they’re in.”
For more information, advice or to submit a contract to the MU’s Contract Advisory Service, contact your MU Regional Office.