Reading a Music Promotion Agreement in Plain English

Before you hire anyone to promote your music, you will probably be sent an agreement, a proposal or at least a list of terms. Many artists skim it and sign. Reading it properly takes twenty minutes and can save a lot of trouble.

Scope: what exactly is being done?

Look for a clear list of activities: which channels, how many pitches or ads, which assets the agency produces and which you must provide. Vague phrases such as "full promotion" or "maximum exposure" are not a scope.

Timeline

When does the work start and end? Are there milestones, such as a pitch list before release or a report after the first month?

Fees and costs

• Is the fee fixed, monthly, or tied to specific items?
• Are ad budgets included, or paid separately to the platforms?
• Are there extra costs for things like video edits or translations?

Results and guarantees

Honest agreements describe the work, not guaranteed numbers of streams, followers or articles. Be very careful with promises of guaranteed playlist placements or fixed stream counts; these often break platform rules.

Ownership and access

Who owns the content made for the campaign? Will ads run from your account or theirs? Will you get the data and contacts at the end?

Reporting

How often will you receive updates, and what will they include? Ask for an example report.

Ending the agreement

What happens if either side wants to stop early? Is there a notice period or a refund policy?

Ask questions

If something is unclear, ask in writing before signing. A good partner will be happy to explain. For an example of the kinds of questions artists ask an agency, see frequently asked questions about working with MusicPromoToday.