Hi, first post here!

I'm finding myself in a funny spot.

I'm in 2 collaboration projects making drum and bass and high tempo music with 2 different friends over 2 projects. I am essentially at the beginning of a contract with a label with Collab 1 which will last 3-5 years. Today we had a little meeting with our Label Boss, and in these meetings we have a little show and tell with him and towards the end of the meeting, I showed some drum and bass speed music that I am making with another friend, on a totally different collaboration project with my own alias and this other friends' alias. Collab 1 being a group and Collab 2 being comprised of 2 separate aliases. This last show and tell sparked his surprise and concern as he realised then that I didn't feel "personally" signed under him, whereas my friend does.

Now, this contract is an exclusive signing, but as far as I see it, it's only with Collab 1. However, what the label manager said is that I'm essentially creating my own loophole in the contract, so that if I want to release something that he doesn't want (or my friend in collab 1 doesn't want) to release I'm essentially breaking the contract. Or to release anything I like, for that matter.

This label manager of ours is a really nice guy, but of course he is about to put a fair amount of dosh behind us and of course he wants me especially to not muck him about. My friend (Collab 1) is totally 100% with it, as his only career path, however I've just shown my true colours that I actually am interested in furthering my own career with another path alongside. Label man wants me to come to him first with all my high tempo stuff instead of choosing my own release path with my friend in Collab 2 but I feel I really can't do this to myself as I have such a wide range of musical interests in the high tempos which simply won't fit into his categories for release.

With Collab 2, my friend and I are looking to create all kinds of crazy music, which doesn't fit into the genre restrictions of Collab 1, and eventually create our own label. I feel it's my right to be free to do this.

However, my friend in Collab 1 is very concerned now, as is my Label Manager, that I won't be able to balance both, and that I should focus largely on Collab 1 over Collab 2.

I really don't want to do this as my creative output needs to be varied. I can't do it to myself, to focus entirely on one project, I know my creativity would be too constrained and would actually decrease my focus on just the one project.

So I would like to see if you have any advice for me, in regards to this dilemma. I don't want to pass the contract up, I don't think the label manager does at all either. He really sees the potential in my friend and I to create some of the best DnB going. But I also don't want to give up working with my other friend in Collab 2 as what we have going is absolutely ace and needs to keep developing. I really don't feel that by following 2 solid paths in a single career will jeopardise the reach of Collab 1 as my friend is now extremely stressed about!

Thanks for reading, I look forward to any advice you may have.

 

Hi... @V4nger Welcome..! One question about this dilemma.

Did you try to offer your label manager to sign your friend too..?

If that is possible... And the label is interested in your tracks made in collab with your friend, you may release your tracks under one alias.

In long term, this will help you to interact with your audience too.

In my personal opinion, I would keep only one alias if I were at your place.

And... I would also suggest one thing which I follow: Relations should be given higher importance than money.

I don't know... How much I have helped you. But consider this based on best suitable condition. Best of luck.

 

Thanks! The 2 collaboration projects are quite separate in style, but both are equally important to me. The label manager is interested in some tracks with my friend in Collab 2 but is mostly focused on my friend and I in Collab 1.

It would be simpler to keep 1 alias but I feel that my creative fulfilment over the next 3-5 years will be severely affected by doing this.

 

Well, maybe he's interested in signing your second collab or has a sublabel for the more crazy stuff?

Generally speaking, personal exclusivity is all-embracing. The examples where members of bands were allowed to pursue solo careers at the same time are few. Think of Rod Steward or Phil Colins.
But it's all about negotiation. I understand that since this is a big opportunity you don't want to piss of the label head. But what you're asking for is not over the top and perfectly reasonable, you're entitled to do so. Better discuss such issues upfront than becoming frustrated after years.
Speaking of years (and since you asked about advice on progressing your career). 3-5 years is a very, very long time in electronic music. We have seen the stellar ascent of EDM in that timespan. Imagine you're one of the talented artists in a skyrocketing genre and you're bound to a label that is slow and doesn't give you the support you'd need to really make it. Personal exclusivity would be a real ball and chain (see Boris Brechja for reference on how this can affect a career). So I'd try to negotiate for exclusivity for, say, three EPs and some remixes. After that period, you'll see how it works and can decide if you want to carry on with this label or look elsewhere. I think what would be a good move to get your career going is to try and get your name associated with as many big labels as possible.

May I ask where you're from?

 

I think it's important to set some goals you want to achieve in collab 1,
set time frames so to work on stuff (don't confuse this with when it is ready)

this way everybody knows what to aspect. I know most people hate to do this,
but it's the only way to keep business influences out of the studio.

I actually work with this type of stuff on daily basis, I think it's fair that your label manager wants to have influence in collab 2.
He is actually sticking his neck out for you (or should be).

I actually like the idea of a separate alias. but I think it isn't a solution for this problem in any way.

Just put a strain on your export button, make sure you are in compliance with what you agreed on.
and keep business out of the creative process.

 

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. I have had a good long think about what exactly I want with music and this business situation.

I have come to the conclusion, along with my collaborator Samurai Breaks, that our footwork and dnb speed music just isn't suitable for the labels which the label manager, and manager of Collab 1, owns. Collab 1 being called Creatures btw, I dunno why I was feeling like calling these projects collab 1 and 2.

Sam (Samurai Breaks) just isn't up for releasing our tunes via this manager, full stop. He's totally up for doing some remixes of Creatures tunes and doing some Collabs as Creatures x Samurai Breaks, but not up for releasing our tunes through these other labels, mostly because they don't inspire him, which is fair enough and I totally understand. The labels are largely straight up DnB or jungley dnb. And even though label dude wants to expand the styles that are put out, I really don't feel that this Collab with Sam is his ticket even if he would like it to be. So even though label dude is totally keen for it to happen and to hold some weight over the collab, it's just not going to work in his favour as one half just isn't interested in that way.

So another conclusion I have come to is that I simply will not be able to sign a 3 year contract if it means I cannot continue making the other music, as my creative juices need to be expressed in different ways and without being able to create music with my mate Sam and release it, I simply won't be able to give my best to Creatures. So I will put this to label dude when it comes to the crunch. I feel it is totally reasonable and essentially it's the reality for me.

To answer fraifikmushi, I'm from Bath, England.

 

So, is it 3 years exclusive or nothing with this dude? If you'd like to release on that label but aren't happy with the terms, maybe he would agree to exclusivity for a fixed amount of releases. In my experience of negotiating contracts people are more inclined to agree if you offer them alternative options.
I was asking about your whereabouts because of regional legislative differences but I don't know diddly about UK law