Source link : https://las-vegas-news.com/the-dont-sign-there-list-5-record-label-contracts-that-could-soon-become-career-traps/
Getting offered a record deal still feels like a milestone, and in many ways it is. The advance hits your account, the label’s name carries weight, and suddenly the years of grinding feel validated. What nobody hands you alongside that contract, though, is a clear explanation of what you’re actually agreeing to give away.
The music industry has always had fine print, but the deals being offered in 2025 and 2026 have quietly evolved in ways that can stall a career before it finds its footing. Some clauses are decades old and simply dressed up in new language. Others are genuinely new, built in direct response to artists who found ways to fight back. Here are five specific contract structures that merit serious scrutiny before a single signature goes down.
The Full-Ecosystem 360 Deal: When the Label Wants Everything
The widely known “360 deal” allows labels to take a share of an artist’s entire revenue stream, including touring, licensing, and merchandise, in exchange for career development. That basic concept has been around since the early 2000s, but the version being offered now is considerably more aggressive. The 360 deal has been rebranded in recent contracts as “Multiple Rights” or “Full Ecosystem Partnership,” with recoupment drawn from all revenue streams including streaming, publishing, merchandise, touring, sync, and brand deals.
Critics argue that 360…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-06-25 13:05:00
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