Freight

4y

Yeah, this is my understanding 100%. Labels are essentially taking gambles on artists. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of artists actually end up losing money for the label. But then every so often you get lucky and sign a superstar and make so much money that it covers all the losses from everyone else.

safe

4y

first off lemme say that this s*** is complicated as f*** and im not a lawyer. however here is some stuff I could glean from the contracts that people might find interesting. feel free to ask me stuff but no guarantees I can help

• From what I can tell the deal was structured to give UMG options to extend the contract multiple times. Of course because of Kanye's success they picked to exercise these options

• There's a letter in their from Rock the World and because its only partial I cant read too much into details. But it's essentially demanding royalty rates of 85%-100% for the different contract periods with the rest of the royalties going to RTW. The issue is I dont know what the contract periods represent. If it is indeed albums Kanye wanted 80% for CD, LR, Grad and 808s, 85% for MBDTF, Yeezus and TLOP and 100% for anything post TLOP. This letter was not signed by Island Def Jam

• Its hard to tell what options were exercised but Roc-A-Fella appear to own his masters for whatever number of albums took place on the initial contact - at least two, as many as 7

• He didnt give up any merchandising rights (i.e. not a 360)

• royalty rate of 14% with sales targets pushing it to a possible 19% for late registration and possibly beyond

• Kanye has creative control for all intents and purposes

• Kanye signed the deal in 2011. this was for 3 contract years - however any year that he did not deliver TWO albums from GOOD would be suspended until he delivered 2 albums

• Year 1 got waived for not having two albums

• the contract was extended in 2012 and 2016

• If an artist he brings to Island Def Jam that he wants to sign to GOOD is rejected, he must offer that artist to other Universal labels first

• Kanye has control over contracts subject to a minimum level stipulated by UMG

• GOOD keeps 50% of profits after recoupment of advances

• The Cruel Summer film ended up with a budget of at least $5.7m
• Because of costs associated with the Hawaii recordings and Cruel Summer recordings, Kanye had to pay 100% of Cruel Summer profits to the label until the costs were recouped
• This also may be why Cruel Winter was cancelled. The agreement says if Cruel Winter releases, the label will also take 100% of profits until costs are recouped

• The initial Yeezus budget on the label side was $12m
• Royalty rate was 22% again after recoupment of advances

• was expected by the label by 2015
• royalty rate of 22%
• a later document says the label will also pay 50% of profits for yeezus and tlop. these are technically different things. royalties are based on net revenue whereas profit is revenue minus costs.
• Kanye gets the masters for Yeezus and TLOP 20 years after the release date. if the advancement isn't recouped he has to pay the difference to get the masters

• the budget was $2.5m of which $1m would be paid after delivery. this was an advance and thus recouped from royalties
• label owns the master
• the royalty return for Kanye was just 15% and that is after recoupment of the advance

• Here Kanye owns the master but has licensed it to Island Def Jam for 7 years
• Royalty rate is 25% in the US and 16% elsewhere again subject to advance recoupment
• Kanye potentially wanted to sell 'super deluxe versions' of the album exclusively through his online store

Worldpremiere_

4y

Kanye gets the masters of yeezus and tlop 20 years after release

RoomOnFire

4y

Also, simplified, every song on Yeezus costs nearly a milli?

Weekend KaTeezy

4y

Today was a crazy day

Got 0 work done

Freight

4y

I'm worried that the dirty secret of the music biz is that it just doesn't work financially without the exploitative tactics.

That doesn't mean that it can't work, just that the labels would need to stop assuming so much risk and handing out deals and advances to anyone and everyone.

VVV

4y

thats what the songs sound like

Giveuswhatweneed

4y

@safe can you do a thread on Merck mercuriadis and the Hipgnosis Songs fund

ColtWilliamsMusic

4y

Read your contracts and have a lawyer go over them. Keep it indie and get it out the mud

Pokerking4128

4y

IMHO, if Kanye goes indie he probably won't be able to record at 5 star hotels, hire ton of writers/producers, fly them all in, etc.
It's just easy for Kanye to play the victim forgetting all these costs.

TheZucker

4y

He can lol with his own money. He's now so rich that a certain lavish lifestyle is the bare minimum for him. However, would he "recoup" his investment from sale of the music? Doubtful.

Pokerking4128

4y

He can pay for that himself now, but not 10-15 years ago.
People go in music business because they want cars, girls, private jets, and apartments, that's why they need label to provide all that, they would go indie if they wanted only to make music. We know that's not the case with Kanye since he was obsessed with expensive brands since he was a child.

Pokerking4128

4y

IMHO, if Kanye goes indie he probably won't be able to record at 5 star hotels, hire ton of writers/producers, fly them all in, etc.
It's just easy for Kanye to play the victim forgetting all these costs.

Pokerking4128

4y

IMHO, if Kanye goes indie he probably won't be able to record at 5 star hotels, hire ton of writers/producers, fly them all in, etc.
It's just easy for Kanye to play the victim forgetting all these costs.

ColtWilliamsMusic

4y

Mike didn't need all that for Thriller. Sound like Kanye on some BS