“Money does not give happiness”, while this is debatable it’s only obvious that being in a financially unstable position isn’t going to have us happy either.
Singers have come out many times to the public about their bad contracts for their safety and finances. These are 2 singers with labels who corrupted them.
KANYE WEST
(Getty image: Kanye West)
While Kanye gets paid in millions, there is a price to pay. As he gets paid these in advance you could look at it more as a loan because until the profit is entirely made, the rest of the amount should be paid back by Kanye to his label. This really puts him in an unsure position with the cash he could possibly have in hand and an easy trap for bankruptcy. His contract also seals a one-way termination contract in which he cannot terminate it, and this paralyzes him to stay in the label which is also corrupting him. Since the singers did sign it, they could be the ones to blame but the tactics companies use on them such as multiple documents with 100s of pages, fancy words, and a young man’s thirst for fame and success all play to the signing of papers.
TAYLOR SWIFT
(Getty image: Taylor Swift)
Most singers don’t own their music/master recordings, and this includes Taylor Swift with her previous albums. Now in Republic Records, but when she was once with Big Machine, she never owned her master recordings. When she wanted ownership of it, the company withheld it with unfavorable conditions (which were not disclosed). Taylor then, as mentioned, signed with another label—Republic Records—but Big Machine imposed restrictions on her including the refusal for her to use her old songs in performances. Following this, the master recording being sold off to Shamrock Holdings sealed the conclusion of Taylor not having a chance to own her recordings. As seen here, for most artists, they don’t have custody of their own art as the label wants to cash off of them and their art through selling it or having commercial control—hence earning through it however they want regardless of artist being in their label or not; mostly for having the artist be held down to the label.
CONCLUSION
Often, the legal extent of business mindedness crosses the line to greed and really puts the singer at a disadvantage and unfairness, and this should looked upon as it is corruption of one's work.
SOURCE
Bhattacharya, A. (2024, January 10). Explained: Why Taylor Swift is re-recording her studio albums and what it says about copyright battles with mega music labels. Firstpost. https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/explained-why-taylor-swift-is-re-recording-her-studio-albums-and-what-it-says-about-copyright-battles-with-mega-music-labels-10138211.html
Discourse. (2024, January 9). Kanye’s contracts reveal dark truths about the music industry. Medium. https://medium.com/discourse/kanyes-contracts-reveal-dark-truths-about-the-music-industry-956418641df2
JP Associates. (2024). Taylor Swift vs Big Machine: Decoding copyright quandaries. JP Associates. https://jpassociates.co.in/taylor-swift-vs-big-machine-decoding-copyright-quandaries/
Muir, H. (2024, January 9). Taylor Swift and the fight for artists' rights: An example to follow. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/jan/09/taylor-swift-deals-how-artists-rights-example
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