Below are two sample audio contracts – a Work for Hire agreement and a Non-Exclusive License agreement. Neither is perfect, but they are a great starting point for your own projects. Regarding the highlighting in them:
- Purple is placeholder that you’ll want to substitute with your own personal information
- Blue is something you’ll want to customize or tailor for each individual project/situation (e.g. the service you are providing, whether or not you are able to get in the soundtrack rights clause, etc.)
- Yellow is something that the client will need to complete.
- Red text in the Non-Exclusive agreement is a royalty clause for backend payments, something becoming increasingly common in indie contracts.
One other thing worth mentioning about them is the lack of a defined limited revision clause. The existing language dictates a “reasonable number of revisions,” but this can be substituted for a specific number if you wish. Lastly, thanks to our fantastic attorney Jeffrey Rose who drew these up!