What this agreement does
A producer agreement records what a producer is being paid to do on a track or project, what they are paid, and what they are entitled to afterwards. Nearly every argument between a label and a producer comes down to one of those three things being left informal.
The template covers a flat fee, optional points on the recording, credit wording, and the assignment of the producer's contribution to the master so the release can be distributed cleanly.
When a label uses it
- You are hiring a producer for a single, an EP or an album.
- A beat or production contribution is being paid for with a fee, points, or both.
- You need a clean chain of title before sending the release to a distributor.
Key clauses explained
Fee versus points
Whether the producer takes a flat fee, a percentage of net receipts, or a fee advanced against points. Say explicitly whether points are calculated before or after recoupment.
Assignment of the master
Production work must be assigned or licensed to the label, otherwise the distributor takedown request arrives at the worst possible moment.
Credit
Exact wording of the produced-by credit and where it must appear — metadata, artwork, DSP credits.
Publishing carve-out
If the producer also wrote part of the composition, that is a separate share and belongs on a split sheet, not in the production fee.
Explanations only — the drafted clauses themselves are inside the app.
Common mistakes
- Paying for a beat over DM and never getting anything in writing.
- Confusing the producer's master points with a songwriting share.
- Forgetting to state whether the fee is an advance against points or on top of them.
- Leaving stems and session files out of the delivery obligations.
Related templates
Mixer / Engineer Agreement
A mix or master engagement, with revisions and delivery specs.
Included with all plans
Writer Split Sheet
Records songwriting shares before anyone registers the work.
Included with all plans
Exclusive Artist Agreement
An exclusive recording deal built around a 50/50 net profit split.
Included with all plans