Management Deal vs Production Deal
The decisions that artists have to make early on in their career can be the difference between millions of dollars and superstardom versus fading into obscurity or even worse never even getting a real chance. The margins are that slim. Early on in a talented artist’s career is also the most vulnerable and susceptible time for them to sign bad deals and make impulsive decisions in hopes of making it big. One of the easiest ways for an artist to get duped is to sign a production deal masked as a management deal or an indie record label deal because they didn’t understand the process or didn’t have adequate representation. This happens all the time.
I am not per se against production deals but understanding the difference between signing a production deal, indie record label deal and management deal is key. If your team is not sure or is vague, on what you are signing take that as a red flag. Additionally, while I’m the first to tell creatives their legal budget should be small in the early stages, never sign a production or management deal without an entertainment attorney’s thorough review! I can not state this enough. There are plenty of times early in a music career where an entertainment attorney might not be necessary. When a career-altering contract with serious implications is presented to you, the time for attorney review is now. Don’t be cheap.
