Music Management Contract
Clear commission, clear term, clear scope — before the career takes off.
A music management contract is the agreement between an artist and a personal manager. It defines what the manager does, how much they are paid, for how long, in what territories, and under what conditions either side can walk away. When a career starts to move, the management contract decides who benefits and for how long — which is why it has to be clearly written from the start.
The standard model in commercial music is that the manager takes a commission of 15% to 20% on the artist's gross earnings from music-related activities during the term of the contract. Some managers negotiate for commission to continue on post-term income from deals signed during the term (known as a "sunset" clause). Some deals carve out exclusions — touring income below a threshold, merchandise, or music unrelated to the manager's work. All of that needs to be spelled out.
MUSILOCK generates a music management contract covering the essentials: parties, term length and renewal terms, territory (country, region, or worldwide), scope of management services, commission percentage, what counts as commissionable income and what is excluded, post-term commission and any sunset tail, expense reimbursement rules, conflicts of interest, termination conditions, and dispute resolution. Every field comes with plain-language guidance in the wizard.
This template is for personal management relationships — the traditional artist-manager deal. It is not a booking agency contract, a business management contract, or a label deal. If you are hiring a manager to run your career day-to-day, this is the right document. If you are not sure which you need, the MUSILOCK contract picker guides you.
Electronic signatures via SignWell are valid worldwide under laws including the US ESIGN Act and the EU eIDAS Regulation. Once both parties sign, the completed PDF lives in your MUSILOCK account. The bilingual template is useful when a Latin-market artist signs with a US or European manager, or vice versa — both language versions carry equal weight.
Get the management deal in writing.
Commission, term, territory — agreed, signed, stored.
Create this contractFrequently asked questions
What commission should a music manager take?
Industry standard is 15% to 20% of the artist's gross commissionable income. New managers or those with less leverage sometimes take 10-15%. A manager at a major firm handling a top artist might negotiate 20% plus expenses. The MUSILOCK template lets you enter the percentage you agree on.
What is a sunset clause in a management contract?
A sunset clause defines how long the manager keeps collecting commission on deals signed during the term after the contract ends. Typical structures: full commission for 1-3 years post-term, scaling down to zero. Without a sunset clause, the contract either cuts commission off completely at termination or keeps it running indefinitely on term-era deals. Neither extreme is healthy — negotiate the middle ground.
Should the contract say worldwide, or a specific territory?
Depends on the manager. A manager with worldwide reach and capacity can reasonably ask for worldwide. A regional manager (Spain and Latin America only, for example) should be contracted for that territory only, leaving you free to sign with a US manager for North America. The MUSILOCK template lets you define territory precisely.
Can I fire my manager?
Yes — but the contract's termination clause decides the conditions. Most contracts allow termination for cause (breach of duties, dishonesty) at any time, and termination without cause either after a notice period or once the initial term ends. Understand which clauses apply before signing, not after.
Is a music management contract the same as a booking agreement?
No. A personal manager guides the whole career — deals, marketing, team, strategy. A booking agent focuses narrowly on live dates. In most markets they are legally and ethically required to be different people. Use a separate agreement for a booking agent relationship.