Band Agreement
Settle the business side of your band before it becomes a problem: how money is split, who owns the songs and the band name, how decisions are made and what happens when someone leaves.
Includes 30 days of edits
- 5 to 20 minutes
- Print-ready PDF
What is a Band Agreement?
A band agreement, sometimes called a band partnership agreement, is a written contract among the members of a musical group that sets out how the band operates as a business. When musicians play together for money without any agreement, the law in most states treats them as a general partnership, with default rules that may not reflect what the members actually intend.
The questions that split bands up are usually about money and ownership rather than music: who gets paid what from shows and merchandise, who owns the songs, who owns the recordings, who can keep using the band name, and what a departing member walks away with. Agreeing on these points early, while everyone gets along, is much easier than sorting them out after a falling out or after a song becomes valuable.
This agreement covers the members and their roles, income sharing and band expenses, banking and bookkeeping, how decisions are made, songwriting credits and publishing, ownership of recordings, the band name and logo, shared equipment, adding and removing members, departures and dissolution. It also includes optional consent lines for a parent or guardian of any member who is a minor.
When to use it
- Your band is starting to earn money from shows, streaming, merchandise or licensing.
- You are about to record an album, sign with a label or hire a manager.
- A new member is joining and you want everyone on the same terms.
- Members have bought equipment, a van or other gear with band money.
- You want to agree now on who keeps the band name if the group splits up.
What is included
- Members, roles and the band's business purpose
- Split of net income and treatment of band expenses
- Band bank account, signing authority and bookkeeping
- Decision-making rules and matters needing unanimous approval
- Songwriting credits, publishing and pre-existing songs
- Ownership of master recordings
- Ownership and use of the band name and logo
- Shared equipment and personal gear
- Adding, removing and departing members, plus dissolution
- Dispute resolution and signatures, with parent consent for minors
How to make your Band Agreement
Answer the questions
Tell us about the parties and the terms you want. Most documents take about 5 to 20 minutes.
Review the preview
Check the draft as you go and change any answer. The document updates instantly.
Download, sign and keep a copy
Download a print-ready PDF, sign it with the other parties, and give everyone a copy.
Frequently asked questions
Does our band really need a written agreement?
Without one, state partnership law usually decides how money, debts and property are shared, and those default rules may not match what you expect. A written agreement lets the members decide those questions for themselves and gives everyone the same record.
Is a band legally a partnership?
If two or more people carry on a business together for profit, most states treat them as a general partnership even if they never signed anything. That means each member may be personally responsible for band debts. Some bands form an LLC to limit personal liability; this agreement can be used alongside that decision or on its own.
Who owns the songs the band writes?
Copyright in a song generally belongs to the people who wrote it, which can be different from the band as a whole. This agreement lets you choose whether songwriting income goes only to the writers of each song, is shared equally among all members, or is decided song by song.
Who gets to keep the band name if we break up?
That is up to you to agree. Common options are that the band name belongs to all members together and no one may use it without everyone's consent, that it stays with the members who continue the band, or that it belongs to one founding member. Registering the name as a trademark is a separate step.
What happens when a member leaves?
The agreement sets the notice a member should give, whether the departing member is paid for their share of band property, whether they keep receiving royalties from recordings made while they were in the band, and whether they can use the band name. Clear rules help avoid disputes over money that arrives years later.
Can a member under 18 sign the band agreement?
Contracts signed by minors can often be cancelled by the minor, so it is common to have a parent or guardian sign as well. Some states also have special rules and court approval processes for entertainment contracts with minors, so check your state's requirements.
How should band expenses be handled?
Most bands pay shared costs such as rehearsal space, travel, recording and merchandise from gross income before splitting what is left. This agreement lets you set that rule, choose who can sign checks, and require approval for larger expenses.
Does this replace a contract with a record label or manager?
No. This agreement governs the relationship among the band members. Deals with labels, managers, publishers and venues are separate contracts, and the band agreement determines who has authority to approve them.
