If You're Thinking About Signing A Record Deal - Read This First

I know how you feel, someone wants to sign you, what a feeling! There is a reason though why you keep hearing stories about disputes between artists and labels, even at the highest level. At the underground , independent level, it is no different.

I'm telling you this story, to try and stop the same thing happening to you. Get a solicitor, and if they don't like it, bin the deal. 

There will be other offers, so wait for the one that feels right to you, try to meet people in person, what does your gut feeling say?

If someone can't be bothered to pick up the phone, meet you or video chat, it's not a good sign. If the owner can't be arsed to have a chat with you, that's another bad sign. If you ask questions and don't get an answer, a vague reply, or a shitty answer, same thing. A legit business will want to meet you, show you how much they like what you do, answer your questions, ALL of them, and try to alter what they do to fit what you want.

I still have a deal with a French Record Label called New Flesh / Rave or Die. It's not a good deal, and I can't wait for their time to be up so I can drag those tracks back home. I'm going to detail exactly what happened with evidence so you can see what can happen if you don't get your contracts checked or your questions answered.

These guys came looking for me, a guy called Chris tells me he's a big fan and that Fred who owns the label would like to put something out. So I write some tracks and they like them, and a contract gets sent over. At that time I was very busy prepping my Film business plan, it's where I'm headed creatively, but I still do music on the side. I wasn't too worried about it, they seem keen, so it's probably a standard deal right? Wrong.

I got sent a contract a 2nd time to sign, since I'd already signed one, I asked why? Remember what I said about asking questions? This is where things started to go wrong. So I start to get the contract checked out, and what comes back is, they OWN EVERYTHING I WRITE. Not just the tracks they signed.

Yes, oh shit. If this is a standard contract, then EVERY artist who has ever signed for them has the same clause. If they want to take your OTHER tracks, they can. All of them. Here's a breakdown of what happened after TWO solicitors get nowhere.

Here's how it started, straight away, after some basic questions, already losing patience. I guess you have to speak French to deal with a French label, maybe they should speak English if they need to deal with contracts in English? It looks like it's been cut and pasted from Google translate.

So I hire a French solicitor, they got no co-operation at all, when they did get some responses ...

To try to push things along I start to try to contact everyone involved with the label.

Nothing happened. So I try again, note that Chris had promised if there were any problems he would help with them.

Since the honey trap role was over, I never heard from him again. Beware of people being "nice" to you, it's just so they can get what they want. This label is all about fuellling Fred's live / Dj career. A record comes out, it keeps his profile high, they don't have to do anything, pay tax, pay artists. Most people will never ask to be paid, or ask to check their contracts.

They know this, and take advantage of the situation. they know you can't afford a solicitor or a legal battle either.

It's hard to find Fred listed anywhere related to the company, guess it means you don't have to pay tax, probably doesn't pay tax on DJ earnings ( hard to track down if you don't use your real name) and you're not liable if something goes wrong, handy. It's all in Anne's name.

This sums up the whole thing, displays what they really think about you and your music. I'm sure their friends have no trouble at all. But would you really want to be friends with a crook who uses people to feed their own career?

Turning a blind eye to this kind of thing is advocating it, profiting from it is being part of it.

If I see other people pushing other people around, or using their position of power to boot people around, I do something. That's what I would like people to do for me if I was in their shoes. I'm in a position now where I can do this and try to stop it happening to others or people who are just starting out.

Just read below. Is this who you want dealing with your art? I wouldn't have them take out the garbage.

I'm shit at music , unknown ( cough Utrax, Eevolute, Emissions, Zyntax Motor City, Satamile, Bass Agenda) and they never wanted my tracks anyway, and they don't sell either, I'm crushed obviously, and I hadn't heard of you either, I stopped giving a toss about the Electro scene in Europe in the Nineties.

Quote: " I heard you are asking for a new agreement about the 4 tracks you released. You agreed for the agreement you signed, nobody forced you.
You said yes to my proposition before you signed the agreement.

I think you should stay happy with it, be sure that the agreement you signed is good for you. Contrary to our friends managing underground labels, we don't deduct the costs we paid ( mastering, pressing, promoting.. around 1500 Euro) to permit artists to get something from his work even when they are unknown like you. The balance of records sales is so negative with your record that be sure you won't get anything if you signed that sort of agreement.

Notice that the agreement isn't a licence, only a recording agreement that means that if you have plan to make thousands of Euro with licensing, you are free to do so. take care. Anne"

Now, they don't know me too well. I've been to Detroit to negotiate a deal, after they told me ( Mad Mike) if you can't sort out a deal, then no one in town will touch you. I've travelled, lived in China for two years. met people from the Mafia, I'm not afraid to stand up for myself.

So I offer to go over there, to negotiate, to prove to me they are legit, and if they want to insult me to my face. Take your best shot. I am still ready, anytime.

Silence. I was sure that the chance to throw insults at me in person would have been taken up, but of course they will have to answer questions in return.

People are very brave on the other side of a keyboard. Do you really want someone like this dealing with your art? No one should do business with them on any level, if you do, this will happen again to someone else.

I'm sure crooks are very nice to their friends and family, I'm sure that makes it ok if they're nice to you. You can just pretend it doesn't exist. There's some sand over there, go shove your head in it.

Find people who enhance your plans, your life and make you feel good to be around, those are the people you do business with.

I'm now very unlikely to sign a deal again unless it meets my terms, and that doesn't work for 99.9% of record labels. So I'll just release it myself, promote and market it myself. Then I'll put all those tracks in the soundtrack of my own film, something which these guys will never be able to do.

Whenever I say I'm going to do something in life, I do it, so can you. Don't sign a deal unless all the stars align for you. If they don't, walk away, live to fight another day. 

The Ghost Walks with You ...