Music Contract For Featured Artist Template for the United States

A featured artist agreement is a contract that sets the professional relationship between a featured artist and a label or music business for a specific recording or project. It's the reference point everyone works from: what the artist performs, how they're credited, who owns the finished recording, and how revenue is split. Because each release differs, a good artist agreement template gives you a consistent starting point you can adapt deal by deal.

What is a featured artist agreement template?

A featured artist agreement template is a reusable draft of the contract used when one artist appears on another artist's or a label's recording. It captures the terms that tend to recur across releases so you aren't rebuilding them each time: the scope of the performance, the credit and billing the featured artist receives, the fee or royalty they earn, and the rights each party keeps. You start from the template, then tailor the specifics to the actual track or project. The featured individual is usually named alongside the primary artist and, where relevant, the producer who oversees the recording.

When do you need this document?

You need this contract when signing with a label as a featured artist, negotiating a recording deal for a single, EP or album, or establishing terms for distribution and promotion. It matters when a guest artist performs on someone else's record, when significant advances or marketing spend are involved, and when a release will reach multiple platforms and territories. Use it for collaborations too, so ownership, credit and royalty splits are agreed upfront rather than argued over later.

What should a featured artist agreement include?

A complete agreement usually covers the following:

• Parties and contact details: the legal name of each party, the featured artist's professional artist name, the producer or label, and current contact information for notices.
• Performance and deliverables: the exact tracks, sessions or projects the featured artist will record, with delivery dates and technical specifications.
• Credit and billing: how the featured artist is named on the release, on streaming metadata, on artwork and in promotion (for example "featuring" credit and its placement).
• Name and likeness: how the featured artist's name, image, credit and likeness may be used in marketing, on social posts and across platforms, and any approval the artist keeps over that use.
• Compensation: the flat fee, price or advance, and any royalty rate on net receipts, including mechanical, performance and streaming revenue.
• Rights and ownership: who controls the master recording, publishing and future exploitation of the work.
• Territory and term: where the recording can be distributed and marketed, and how long the agreement runs.
• Approvals and termination: creative control, marketing approval rights, and the conditions under which either party can end the arrangement.

How does name, likeness and credit work for a featured artist?

Featured artists are typically paid in one of two ways, or a blend of both. A flat performance fee pays a fixed amount for the recording session regardless of how the release performs. A royalty share pays a percentage of net receipts, so the featured artist earns more if the release succeeds. Credit is separate from payment and just as valuable commercially: agree the exact wording and prominence of the "featuring" credit, because it drives the artist's profile and future bookings. The agreement should also set the language for how the featured artist's name and likeness appear in promotion, and any right the artist has to approve a post or campaign before it goes out. Right of publicity laws vary by state, so recording these details in writing protects both sides. Where personal data is collected for promotion, the parties' privacy policy obligations apply too.

Where can I get a free featured artist agreement template to download?

You can draft, review and download a featured artist agreement with GenieAI. Rather than filling in a static PDF, GenieAI drafts the agreement against your terms, flags risky or missing clauses in red, amber and green, and returns a ready-to-sign document. If you're a music business working across several deal types, you can also browse related contracts in the template library or see current plans on the pricing page.