Co-Wrote, and Did ALL Production. Got screwed over. Can I release the song on iTunes?

S

Sndchck

New member
The artist strung me along for almost a year after having made the song. They also agreed to me putting it in the iTunes store (costed me $70) only to change their mind out of nowhere. They've told me I'm not "allowed" to release it. . . ever.

I composed, arranged, and performed all the music. Also engineered, mixed and mastered it myself. This was all done at my studio free of charge based on the agreement we'd have something we could both use to promote our work.

I told them I'd open the books to them anytime and give 50% of all profits.

Thanks
 
Sndchck said:
The artist strung me along for almost a year after having made the song. They also agreed to me putting it in the iTunes store (costed me $70) only to change their mind out of nowhere. They've told me I'm not "allowed" to release it. . . ever.

I composed, arranged, and performed all the music. Also engineered, mixed and mastered it myself. This was all done at my studio free of charge based on the agreement we'd have something we could both use to promote our work.

I told them I'd open the books to them anytime and give 50% of all profits.

Thanks
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Hard to say, did you give them the masters and was there ever a written agreement?
 
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Sndchck said:
Hi, and thanks for the reply!

Never gave them the master. No written agreement either. All verbal.
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Always get things in writing.

Since you recorded, mixed and mastered you own the master recordings. You don't however own the lyrics unless you wrote those as well. I'd release the song anyway and put their 50% to the side.

If they ever came back to sue, well, they are entitled to their 50%

Re-reading, this is what was originally negotiated upfront. They use your free time (studio time) and expertise in exchange for you to use the final project for your portfolio and split profits with them. Sounds like you held up to your end of the bargain, they however did not.

Well, you need to be compensated!

So... If i were, I'd give them an ultimatum. I would leave an email and or audio message form (both actually)

A restatement of the agreement fully disclosed

I'd mention that they did not hold up their end of the bargain and that they have two options.

1. Pay me for my time. Which will be your rates as a writer/composer, mixing engineer and mastering engineer
2. Let you recoup your fees from selling the work then afterwards give you your 50% of any profit that exceed your rates.
 
...or another option would be to shop the music (the portion of your own work) to other parties.
 
Sndchck said:
The artist strung me along for almost a year after having made the song. They also agreed to me putting it in the iTunes store (costed me $70) only to change their mind out of nowhere. They've told me I'm not "allowed" to release it. . . ever.

I composed, arranged, and performed all the music. Also engineered, mixed and mastered it myself. This was all done at my studio free of charge based on the agreement we'd have something we could both use to promote our work.

I told them I'd open the books to them anytime and give 50% of all profits.

Thanks
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can't release the version with their vocal on it ever, you can as sftraxx says shop around your part of the deal, though there is some merit in cyko's advice it could go belly up depending on how nasty they try to get with you for not accepting their request to never release the track.....

your situation here is why agreements need to be in writing and binding on both parties: a verbal/handshake contract is not worth the paper it is written on. Escape clauses are normal and should require both parties to agree that the contract is void; i.e. a one-sided escape clause is only in the interest of the party who uses it....

your financial investment is gone: it is not worth pursuing in small claims court as your legal fees will be more than what you have lost.
 
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why,why don't ppl get things in writing??? producers stay getting screwed because of this
we are usually the ones
1.that own a studio
2.record the artist
3.mix the song
4.master the song
come on guys get it together sad,sad,sad

you got to be about the business and the music!!!
 
Sndchck said:
The artist strung me along for almost a year after having made the song. They also agreed to me putting it in the iTunes store (costed me $70) only to change their mind out of nowhere. They've told me I'm not "allowed" to release it. . . ever.

I composed, arranged, and performed all the music. Also engineered, mixed and mastered it myself. This was all done at my studio free of charge based on the agreement we'd have something we could both use to promote our work.

I told them I'd open the books to them anytime and give 50% of all profits.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Don't release it for retail purchase. Move on, make more music, lesson learned. But I'd "leak" it to every mixtape blog in the world and promote the hell out of a free download some anonymous fan put up on the net to make sure everyone hears it.
 
Just get someone else to hop on the beat and get your cake up that way. If it gets big, it'll be on them to feel the regret.
 
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