|
Exclusive means that the agent is the sole representative of the artist, who has typically signed a contract to that effect, and all inquiries go through that agency. Non-exclusive deals mean that the agent works for the artist on a freelance, per show, per venue basis, and contracts are only signed for the particular event the agency booked.
There are pros and cons for both agent and artist for each kind of deal. An artist who is prepared and able to tour regularly, for example, might look for an exclusive deal, because the logistics of setting up, say, a 30-day, 25-show tour is best handled by a single agency, rather than trying to coordinate that with multiple agencies. That also allows for different sorts of billing, and for the agency to coordinate with PR staff and transportation and such.
On the other hand, an artist more interested in special events and one-off shows might look for several non-exclusive deals with various agencies, because particular agencies tend to have particular relationships with certain venues and festivals and whatnot. So it makes sense for an artist for whom tight scheduling isn't a concern to simply say to a group of agencies, "I'm interested in one or two special appearances a month, this size venue, this sort of crowd: see what you all can drum up for me."
The guys you listed are pretty much in that second category, so it makes sense that you're seeing multiple representatives associated with them. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. If you have questions about legitimacy, just ask around for references.
As for royalties, man, I have no idea what sort of publishing and performance contracts Tribe and Wu-Tang signed with their record companies and publishers, or how each group assigned rights. I know they both sold a lot of records and got a lot of radio play, so I assume they have *something* coming in, but who knows? Refer to Industry Rule #4080...
|
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
The Lesson
