show_a_little_faith
There's nothing like life
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- Feb 10, 2022
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Do you control rights to the band name? Meaning, can you replace them with others and put out new material under the same band name?
Band politics question...i know OT
- Thread starter Russ73
- Start date
No...although I wrote all the music the scummy bass player took the rights to the name...the more I read this thread I realize I'm done with these guys...the singer has the contact to the show that's interested in my songs but he won't put me in contact with them directly...but the singer is willing to get rid of the scummy bass player and split with me....
Stephen J.
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I think you should be talking with a lawyer about your options.
At $400 an hour (at least) for a knowledgeable, experienced entertainment lawyer (and more in LA, Nashville and NYC), I'd say that might depend on how much the licenses are generating.
You can burn through a LOT of money fast just to find out what time it is. Things can get complicated in what is an admixture of music rights, contract and intellectual property law. Most lawyers have very little experience in this stuff, and can't find their asses with both hands in what is truly a specialty field.
I say this as someone who still gets invited to guest lecture on music licensing rights at the law school level, though I've made 99% of my living in music production for 34 years. I can't explain why anyone would want to know what little I have to say, but it shows you how desperate schools are to have anyone with the slightest experience in the field yak to a class for an hour.
Incidentally, if someone came to me to solve this kind of problem, I'd refer it to someone with experience in intra-band issues. It's not like I'm hustling work. Just wanted to make that very clear. Throwing in my two cents, not giving legal advice.
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What's more important...the money or your sanity? Sounds like your self peacefulness is halfway out the door.
Laszlo makes sound business points and keeping your chances of financial success at its peak. But your statements seem to suggest you have more important issues to take care of first...or SOLVE.
Laszlo makes sound business points and keeping your chances of financial success at its peak. But your statements seem to suggest you have more important issues to take care of first...or SOLVE.
doublescale1
doublescale1
Good advice from Laszio on first determining how much the existing music licenses are generating then if it's worth it, find an Entertainment Lawyer who will not charge you for your initial consultation. That conversation and their questions will let the lawyer determine if you have enough grounds and standing to proceed with a lawsuit, and they can evaluate their chances of making some money once the case is won or settled (disclose what you determined the existing music licenses are generating at that meeting). Many lawyers will do an initial consult like that at no charge, then if they think there's a case, they will present their costs to go forward. It's at least worth shopping around for that consultation. Good luck.At $400 an hour (at least) for a knowledgeable, experienced entertainment lawyer (and more in LA, Nashville and NYC), I'd say that might depend on how much the licenses are generating.
You can burn through a LOT of money fast just to find out what time it is. Things can get complicated in what is an admixture of music rights, contract and intellectual property law. Most lawyers have very little experience in this stuff, and can't find their asses with both hands in what is truly a specialty field.
I say this as someone who still gets invited to guest lecture on music licensing rights at the law school level, though I've made 99% of my living in music production for 34 years. I can't explain why anyone would want to know what little I have to say, but it shows you how desperate schools are to have anyone with the slightest experience in the field yak to a class for an hour.
Incidentally, if someone came to me to solve this kind of problem, I'd refer it to someone with experience in intra-band issues. It's not like I'm hustling work. Just wanted to make that very clear. Throwing in my two cents, not giving legal advice.
There's an old Jack Benny 'Your money or your life?' sketch from the 1950s.
The robber character comes up and asks Benny, "Hey, got a light?" and while Benny is getting out a lighter, pulls out a gun, and says,
"Your money or your life!"
Benny stands there and does nothing.
The robber says, louder, "I said, your money or your life!"
Benny says, exasperated, "Give me a minute, I'm thinking it over!"
Good plan!
Yeah, I had to learn 'Say yes, cash checks' the hard way.
When I first got into the ad music business, I was young and foolish. Well, that's an understatement. I left a good law practice to go into music. Kinda speaks for itself!!
I did a lot of work on a national car account. It was great fun, and lucrative work. All of it was post-scoring, that is, music written to picture post-shoot and post editorial, but no singing. I liked the people I was working with on these projects.
My main contact at the ad agency offered me a jingle project. I didn't want to do it. I told my best client, "I don't do jingles, I'm a post-scorer, so no."
Someone else made the client happy. The client never called me again. My calls weren't returned. Obviously the client was pissed off that I said "No."
My ass was shot into the sun and vaporized. And deservedly so.
A woman who owned a very successful production company (and who was also a client) told me, "Never Say No To Work! Say yes and bring in someone to your company to do what you don't feel like doing if you have to. But Do Not Say No!"
I guess I should mention that she could be difficult, and the topper was she had a dog that bit me in the behind. For real.
I've subsequently worked with difficult, disagreeable people, somehow made them happy, and enjoyed not having to sell everything down to my socks and underwear on Ebay to pay the bills.
But I also worked with difficult, disagreeable people when I was still practicing law. It's just part of business, one accepts it.
If music is a hobby, especially when young, being in a band with pals is great, and if you don't like them later, you get out of the band.
But the music business is indeed a business, and it's a difficult business. You sometimes have to find ways to make it work and accept some less-than-wonderful projects/situations. So I think it's best to leverage success, keep folks happy, and take the bitter with the sweet. People have a hard time letting go of their egos and simply doing the work.
It's not that I'm greedy and love money. It's that (like most folks) I like to make a nice living with as little financial stress as possible.
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Rod/
Vibrato & String Bender
Your wife is rockin! F..k them. If you wrote that tune that’s on a tv show ,if you haven’t done it already, copyright it!!
start a publishing company (ascap, bmi)and publish . Protect yourself for what is yours!
start a publishing company (ascap, bmi)and publish . Protect yourself for what is yours!
Yeah im under BMI...I had to give a percentage to the other guys as that's what was done during days it was recorded...but going forward im keeping everything I write...ive decided im not recording with them ever again...too much insanity dealing with them...its even worse than I described in the original post...
