Leonardo Zambito
Member
We record music videos of original songs by various artists. Thus far none are signed but this will eventually change. Can we monetize?
With their written consent, yep!
so it's just a matter of settling on what proportion of profits each each party gets? is there a precedent i can verify before i proceed?
You would need to first obtain permission from the owner of the song to not only place it on YouTube but also earn revenue from the song.
If they agreed to that, they'd either need to put in writing that they are totally okay with you receiving 100% of the profits or you'd need a document drawn up that talks about the splitting of the profits.
OR, you need a licence that allows you to use the music. These are quite expensive, since they tend to cover more than just one song or artist. Bars and clubs and TV channels have licences to use the music/visuals that they use. Even a pub with a jukebox needs a licence. They can cost thousands.
I would contact the artist(s) and ask their permission first. If they say no, you will need to remove those videos before monetising.
I don't know that there's necessarily any "typical" for this type of thing. But per YouTube's requirements, make sure you have that permission in writing before you upload. Cheers!kk, I do have permission to have the vids up so then it's just a matter of getting the ok for monetization from the artists. is 50 / 50 profit sharing typical or.. ?