Music Business 281: Music Composers and Composer Agreements

Overview

• Today's lecture focuses on the role of music composers, specifically in the area of underscore music composition.
• Discussion includes music composer agreements, particularly in the context of motion pictures.
• Importance of understanding composer agreements through real contracts provided on Canvas.

Understanding Composer Agreements

• Contracts usually favor the party that drafts them, as they are prepared by their legal team.
• Receiving a contract saves legal preparation costs but usually has terms that favor the drafter.
• If you draft the contract, your lawyer should protect your interests.

Function and Role of a Composer

• Composers can range from writing books to creating underscore music for films.
• Example: Personal experience with writing and publishing a drum set book with a publishing company.
  • Received 10% of retail price for each book sold.
  • Retained writer's share but transferred publishing rights to the company.

Publishing Rights and Contracts

• Publishing companies often control the rights and distribution of published works.
• If a publishing company goes out of business, it doesn't automatically revert rights to the composer.
• Important to negotiate rights return if a company might go out of business.
• Bankruptcy can result in the transfer of rights to another party.

Types of Music Composition

• Composing can include a variety of music formats: ensemble pieces, solo work, TV and film scores.
• Underscore composition contracts are a type of synchronization agreement for media like motion pictures.

Specifics of Underscore Composer Agreements

• These agreements are crucial for media projects such as films and TV shows.
• Underscore refers to music that supports the emotion and tone of visual media.
• The term 'TV show' can apply to all types of visual media, not just traditional television.

Further Exploration

• Encouraged to research various composer roles and types of agreements.
• Understanding compositions can benefit from Google search and personal research.

Next Steps

• Part two will delve deeper into underscore composer agreements and their specifics.
• Review the composer agreements provided in the course files for better understanding.