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Producer Agreements in the Music Business Are a Mess. The System Has to Change (Guest Column)

Producer deals in music are a mess. This has to change, writes attorney Matt Buser in a new guest column.

“A lot of people think that all we do is push a button and money goes out, but there are so many checks and balances that admin does on the back end to ensure that payments are processed properly and within a timely fashion,” says one senior executive at a major label who asked to remain unnamed. My friend and colleague, Bob Celestin, shares this advice: “One of the many obstacles to producers and songwriters getting paid their publishing monies is the neglect or outright refusal, at times, to document their respective ownership interests in songs they jointly create,” he says. Since its founding in 2014, his blend of deep legal expertise, business acumen, and a passion for the arts has earned the firm acknowledgment from Billboard to USA Today, embodying the innovative spirit behind #NotYourAverageLawFirm.

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