@d-pleezy...well its a 5 year contract with a 18 month period for each album...i get std 11% on the first album sales aside from internet downloads appearances etc(will get 13 percent in the first option if i sell 10 000 units)...then in the 2nd option the 2nd album id earn 13%(again depending on units sold it could be more) and third option album 15%...certain clauses the compnay will get 60% and me 40% and other clauses i get 60% and they get 40%...in each option i will have to make them their cash back and after that we get the split... also i get all the door takings and get 2 payouts per year... so its a 4 album deal over 5 years...the music is commerciallised...i sign away my masters and thats about the only shitty thing..other than that they cant really f*** me over...and if any other label wants me and puts in a offer and they cant match it..then i can get out of the deal that way...
It doesn't sound too bad. You can't expect to own the masters when they are putting up all the money so I wouldn't worry about that. The only thing you have to worry about is how many units have to be sold before you make any money. Even if you are commercial hip hop artist, 10,000 units is a lot these days - and the online market is very immature in SA.
The label obviously has a lot of faith in you, but what is their track record like? Have they produced any household names before?
Being tied to a 5 year deal is quite a long time, but it potentially offers you some security. The only problem you might encounter is if your first project doesn't sell (for whatever reason). Are they committed to investing in your next projects or can they just hold on to you. Once you've had a flop, other labels won't necessarily want to touch you.
I'm not trying to be negative, just warning you of some of the possible dangers.
