yeah - a lot of record deals suck. and there is a new '360' model
that takes some of everything: touring, merchandising, etc, but
a little due diligence is in order.
if you don't like it, don't sign it.
Jeff,
With all due respect, every record contract I've ever been privy to, with VERY few exceptions, sucks. Standard conversation:
Artist: I really don't want to sign this, man. There are a lot of unfair things in it.
Record company: That's the standard industry contract. If you don't like it, don't sign it, but we're not going to offer you anything else.
Now, if you're a musician (and they're usually young and impatient), what are you going to do? Unless a bunch of other companies are hounding you to sign, you don't have much of a choice.
The one thing I'll NEVER understand is this: your record company gives you an advance against royalties to record your album, say $100,000. When the recording is finished, you hand it over to the record label and it becomes their property. Huh? How is this fair? You paid for it with your money (technically a loan which the company hopes to recoup), but the recording is their property.
Yeah, there are musicians who work the system and the record company gets screwed, but lots of RCs get around that by keeping closer tabs on the money (like paying out the advance directly to the studio and producer), but at the end of the day, they use the artist's money to get the recording made and then make it their property.
Rick