It is a legal agreement that binds the Artist and the Company to fulfill all the terms and conditions contained in it. All Individual Artist Agreements must be in compliance with the respective Collective Bargaining Agreement.
A good artist contract sets forth the deliverables for the project being completed. This usually includes all details regarding project timeframes, the type of work being completed, the number of revisions expected, and the delivery dates.
An artist licensing agreement allows an artist while retaining full copyright ownership of their work, to grant permission to another party to use their art.
Contracts like an artist agreement help avoid miscommunications and confusion over the rights and responsibilities of both parties involved. Artist agreements typically include availability expectations, performance markers, and licensing or ownership rights of the works created during the partnership.
Several examples include: File business registration paperwork with the state (Articles of Organization to form an LLC or Articles of Incorporation to form a corporation). Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Submit IRS Form 8832 and/or IRS Form 2553 for tax election. Create an operating agreement or bylaws.
Artists as a Business Entity An artist has three choices in forming a business entity: 1) a sole-proprietorship, 2) a limited-liability (LLC) partnership or 3) a corporation. Most artists operate as sole-proprietors. Eventually, you may want to set yourself up as a different kind of business entity.