MMF, FAC, MU release fair contract template

The UK’s Music Managers Forum (MMF), Musicians’ Union (MU) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) have partnered to create a sample management agreement for newcomers to the industry “in response to the often unfair terms found in unchecked contracts brought forward by members of the three organisations”.

The draft agreement, available from today to members of all three bodies, is intended to provide guidance to novice managers and artists who may not yet have knowledge of how a ‘fair’ contract should look.

A joint statement says that “while 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”.

“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”

Horace Trubridge, newly elected MU general secretary, comments: “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.

“This is a result of a lot of hard work and a long negotiation process, demonstrating how complex these things are,” adds the MFF’s Fiona McGugan. “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.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.