Protect catalog valuations, sync licensing negotiations, royalty structures, and exclusive deal terms. Industry-standard NDAs for music rights transactions.
Protect your music rights negotiations
Create a customized NDA for sync licensing, catalog acquisitions, or publishing negotiations with music-specific protections.
Create NDAReceived an NDA from a label, publisher, or licensing partner? Identify one-sided terms and protect your interests.
Analyze NDASpecialized NDAs for different music licensing scenarios
Negotiating music placement in films, TV, commercials, or video games.
Buying or selling music publishing catalogs or master recordings.
Artist deals with labels involving master recording ownership.
Obtaining permission to use portions of existing recordings.
NDAs must account for the complexity of music rights ownership
The rights to a specific sound recording - the actual recorded performance of a song.
The rights to the underlying musical composition - the melody, lyrics, and arrangement.
Important: Sync licensing requires clearing BOTH master and publishing rights. Your NDA may need to address confidentiality with multiple parties who control different rights to the same song.
Key provisions for protecting music negotiations
Protects proprietary valuation methodologies, revenue data, and price negotiations. Disclosure could affect other deals or provide competitive intelligence.
Critical ProtectionKeeps negotiated royalty rates confidential. Artists and publishers don't want competitors knowing their deal terms, which could affect future negotiations.
Industry StandardDuring exclusivity windows, protects both the existence of negotiations and their terms from disclosure to potential competing bidders.
Time-SensitiveCovers the project (film, show, ad), the fee structure, usage limitations, and timing. Prevents leaks about unannounced placements.
Project SpecificProtects the identity of sampled works during clearance negotiations. Prevents leaks that could drive up clearance fees or generate unwanted attention.
Operational NeedAddresses confidentiality when multiple rights holders (label, publisher, co-writers) must be involved. Defines who can share what with whom.
Complex RightsHow music NDAs apply in common industry situations
A music supervisor is negotiating to license a hit song for a superhero film's climactic scene. The NDA covers the film's identity (code name), the scene description, and the fee being negotiated.
Tip: Include provisions for the unavoidable involvement of both master and publishing rights holders.A private equity firm is evaluating a legendary artist's catalog. The NDA protects financial projections, streaming analytics, and the firm's identity during due diligence.
Tip: Specify that competing bidder existence and offers are also confidential.A major artist is clearing samples for an unannounced album. The NDA prevents the sampled artist or their reps from revealing the upcoming project or driving up clearance fees.
Tip: Include provisions addressing what happens if clearance is denied.An artist is negotiating an exclusive windowed release with a streaming platform. The NDA covers the advance, revenue share, and exclusivity window terms.
Tip: Ensure the NDA permits necessary disclosures to your existing label and distributor.