Diligent, Compassionate And Comprehensive Trial Lawyer
The cost of an attorney can be prohibitive for young musicians or bands starting out. I understand that in the early stages a band is so excited for an opportunity that they will sign whatever contract comes to them in hopes of making it big. I have also heard a lot of artists say that “the contract seems pretty straightforward.”…
Broadcast Music, Inc, better known as “BMI” and one of the two major music royalty collection agencies, has launched a new program, simply titled “BMI Live” to help collect performance royalties for performers at any stage in their career. Artists who have an account with BMI and register their music with them will now be able to input their live performances…
Music producers are the unsung heroes of the music industry… the creative and talented force that transforms a group of musicians in studio into a platinum album. If you are a music producer, or an artist preparing to work with a music producer, here are a number of things that you need to know before entering into a recording or…
A Federal Court in California has ruled in favor of Eminem, by stating that digital downloads from iTunes.com do not qualify as purchases, but are rather “licensed” by the “buyer”. The import of this decision is that there is a dramatic difference between record sale royalties and license agreement royalties. A recording contract generally pays royalties between 7% and 20% to an artist, depending…
A band manager hears a song on the internet or catches your act at a local club and approaches you promising recording contracts and headline performances in front of 15000 screaming fans… it’s a seductive offer and you consider giving a percentage of your earnings to this person. Is it an offer you can’t refuse or an offer you should run from? I have…
I speak with musicians and artists almost every day to try and help them along the path to rock and pop stardom, but the fact is that many up and coming artists are struggling to make it and, therefore, can not afford legal fees of an entertainment lawyer. I always keep my fees as low as possible to help people gain…
The Black Eyed Peas insanely infectious song “I Gotta Feeling” has become the most downloaded song in history topping 5 and a half million legal downloads. I would venture to guess that the number of illegal downloads would bring the total number to well over ten million. Play VideoThe Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling (Official Music Video) itunes has also recently reported that…
I came across an important article in the Tennessean which pointed out the importance of registering with an organization that collects royalties for digital music, such as SoundExchange.com. With the emerging popularity of online radio and programs such as Pandora, it is absolutely imperative to have proper registration with a company entrusted to collect online royalties. The difference between online play and traditional…
General Larry Platt could never have imagined that when he auditioned for American Idol in Atlanta to sing a funny song of his own writing that he would create a phenomenon. Platt is the next in the long line of viral videos and entertainers to emerge from American Idol auditions…William Hung, anyone? The video of his performance, shown here, has…
The music industry continues to be a hotbed for litigation. It’s penchant for controversy is sometimes staggering. What’s happening just this week: A court today reduced the “monstrous and shocking” (Judge Davis’ words, not mine) $2 million dollar fine imposed on Jammie Thomas-Rasset for illegally downloading 24 songs on the internet. Now the mother of 4 will only have to…
