The New Music Industry Guidelines By Kanye West

Kanye West over the few weeks has come up with a lot of things including a set of new music industry guidelines.

The billionaire rapper had released over a hundred pages of his recording contracts all over Twitter making the week tumultuous.

In the same vein, the rapper had referred to himself as the “head of Adidas” and also the “new Moses” who would free artists from their contracts.

Here are Kanye’s new guidelines, what do you think?

• The Artist owns the copyright in the recordings and songs and leases them to the record label/publisher for a limited term. 1-year deal.

1. The artist owns the copyright in the recordings and songs and leases them to the record label / publisher for a limited term. 1 year deals

— ye (@kanyewest) September 20, 2020

• The record label/publisher is a service provider that receives a share of the income for a limited term. The split can be 80/20 in the artists’ favor.

2. The record label / publisher is a service provider that receives a share of the income for a limited term. The split can be 80/20 in the artists favor

— ye (@kanyewest) September 20, 2020

• DEPENDANTS: Artists must be dependent on no one but themselves to manage their catalog. You should need no one else to understand the business you’re in.

3. DEPENDANTS

Artists must be dependent on no one but themselves to manage their catalog. You should need NO ONE else to understand the business you’re in.

— ye (@kanyewest) September 20, 2020

• LAWYERS: The first thing that changes about Record Deals is actually lawyers. We need Plain English contracts. A lawyer’s role is to improve deals, not charge for contracts we cannot understand or track. Re-write deals to be understandable from FIRST READ.

4. LAWYERS

the first thing that changes about Record Deals is actually lawyers.

We need Plain English contracts. A Lawyers role is to IMPROVE deals…. not charge for contracts we cannot understand or track. Re-write deals to be understandable from FIRST READ.

— ye (@kanyewest) September 20, 2020

• Equity and Blanket Licenses are the majority of future income.

5. EQUITY & BLANKET LICENSES ARE THE MAJORITY OF FUTURE NEW INCOME.

If you’re with a major you have invested your ‘songs’ as shares in their power to get equity and deals. Almost ALL new deals now are based on ALL songs going to a store or app. The equity is the Artists

— ye (@kanyewest) September 20, 2020

• ADVANCES ARE JUST LOANS. On Artists re-signing. Record companies have to buy into you, not loan you.

5. ADVANCES ARE JUST LOANS!!

On Artists re-signing these stop. Advances are Loans with 75% interest rates (or worse). NO other business in the world takes a look at the business, buys shares, starts to profit when it profits. Record Companies have to buy into you, not loan you.

— ye (@kanyewest) September 20, 2020

• ROYALTIES: Artists are global, that’s why their contract territory says GLOBAL royalty department in every label. No more separating finance teams from the music.

6. ROYALTIES

Again back to dependents. You need a business manager to read how you did? So you pay to see your money!!! NO MORE.

Royalty portals need to show (and do not now)

Every song you delivered

Every store you are in

How many streams per song

Income per song

— ye (@kanyewest) September 20, 2020

• PORTALS: Are not just for royalties. They are for your entire business. Every audio file, every asset, every deal stored with the money.

7. PORTALS

Are not just for royalties. They are for your entire business.  Every audio file, every asset, every deal stored WITH the money. Money and Music must stay together. When your term ends, download it all. Leave.

— ye (@kanyewest) September 20, 2020

See Also: Dr. Dre’s Wife Nicole Young Files Lawsuit Against Him

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