Legal Contract Advice for Cover Master License

[adamwbenjamin]

Hello, I am a professional vocalist and have been recently asked to sign a contract online over a project for an EDM/House label that is recreating Zayne's "She."

I sang the song, and they want me to sign off on rights on the master but have outlined it in a way that leaves me liable for "clearances." Or so I believe. Here's the portion i'm iffy about.

"Licensor (me) warrants that no previous licenses have been granted in respect of the Master Acapella under this contract anywhere in the World prior the date hereof. In signing in this offer Licensor declares the Masters to be an original work and fully understand that all responsibility for the clearing of any samples lies with you."

First off, they are European so the english is written terribly. Secondly, there's no "samples." I know that when redistributing a cover song for sale, you need to pay the compulsory license fees, correct? I'm trying to make sure i'm not held responsible for that and they are pulling a fast one as the sentence in bold seemed to suggest that.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[rhythmgj]

First of all Adam, forums are not your best resource for business advice, and what you receive here should not be construed as legal advice or opinion in any way, shape, or form.

That disclaimer now stated, let's examine the paragraph/phrase. In my opinion, no, they are not asking you about anything to do with any samples in the track. They have to get your release to use your vocals, and you are certifying that you consent to that, and that the vocals contained therein are yours alone to consent to releasing; i.e., there are no samples or third parties involved. Otherwise, you, or any presumed third parties (they have to include this for their protection) could sue them on release of the track for not getting a proper performance release. The key phrase that tips you off is in that first sentence-- "Master Acapella." The next sentence says "Master," but in reference to the sentence before, "Master Acapella," i.e. your vocal track.