Music Manager Guide to Artist Rights

Author: Sarah Anderson, Head of Music & Entertainment at Band

I was recently invited to speak on a panel at the Music Managers Forum on music rights at PPL. Even in a room full of experienced industry professionals, one thing was universally acknowledged: there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to music rights.

Different PROs, different splits, different collecting societies, different publisher agreements. Every artist is different, which is exactly why what you do at onboarding matters so much.

1. Know your artists songwriting credits and splits

When you take on a new client, establish a clear picture of their songwriting credits and agreed splits, then verify those splits are accurately reflected in their PRS registration.

Discrepancies between what was agreed and what’s registered are more common than people realise, and the financial consequences are real.

Quick checks to do at onboarding:

• Are all songs registered with PRS?
• Do the registered splits match what was actually agreed?
• If the artist has a back catalogue, when did they last audit their registrations?

Unregistered works mean uncollected royalties. It’s worth the time to check.

2. Map publishing agreements and set expiry reminders

Create a simple record of every publishing agreement your artist holds:

• Territory and term length
• Reversion clauses
• Expiry date

Then set a calendar reminder 12 months before each one expires (that’s when the renegotiation conversation should start).

For artists, particularly those who may have had gaps in managers or with larger catalogues across multiple publishers and territories, this is easy to let slip. Agreements quietly rolling over on unfavourable terms is a common and avoidable problem

3. Review Statements… and interrogate them

Receiving a royalty statement is not the same as understanding it.

Get into the habit of cross-referencing statements against what you’d reasonably expect to see based on your artist’s activity. For example, if they had a significant US tour last year, you should expect to see a corresponding uplift in US performance royalties 12 to 18 months later. If it doesn’t appear – ask why.

Also review statements carefully for:

• Withholding tax deductions, particularly for artists earning internationally
• Whether the correct tax treaties and exemptions are being applied
• Whether anyone, accountant or otherwise, is actively monitoring this

If your artist is working with a general accountant who doesn’t specialise in music, this area often falls through the gap. Now is the time to find out.

4. Know when to pursue a royalty audit

Most publishing and recording agreements include an audit clause, typically allowing the artist to audit once every two to three years within a defined window after statements are issued.

The process involves appointing a specialist auditor to review accounting records against contractual terms and identify any underpayments. It requires preparation, but for artists at a certain level of earnings, it’s simply good financial governance.

As a manager, your role is to:

• Ensure the right to audit hasn’t lapsed
• Keep records organised enough to support the process
• Ensure the artist has appropriate specialist representation in place

The music industry runs largely on trust. But trust without verification isn’t a strategy.

Onboarding checklist:

→ Review all publishing agreements; note territories, terms and expiry dates

→ Set calendar reminders 12 months before each agreement expires

→ Cross-reference songwriting splits against PRS registrations

→ Identify and register any unregistered works

→ Review the last 2-3 royalty statements against the artist’s activity

→ Check for withholding tax deductions; confirm someone is managing these

→ Establish whether audit clauses exist and when they were last exercised

→ Confirm the artist has music-specialist financial advice

If you’re a manager and you’ve recently onboarded a new Artist and you need help, please get in touch with our team.

Sarah Anderson is Head of Music & Entertainment at BAND – sarah.anderson@weareband.co.uk