360 deals for teenagers, predatory management contracts, and labels banking on naivety. The exploitation has to end — here's what needs to change.
TL;DR
Young artists are routinely offered exploitative contracts they don't understand. The industry has a duty of care that it consistently fails to meet. Better education, mandatory cooling-off periods, and accessible legal support would transform how emerging artists enter the business.
The Pattern That Keeps Repeating
The pattern is depressingly consistent: a young artist shows promise, generates buzz, and attracts industry interest. Excited and inexperienced, they sign a contract they don't fully understand with terms that heavily favour the other party. By the time they realise what they've agreed to, they're locked in — sometimes for years, sometimes for the life of the copyright.
This isn't a few bad actors — it's a systemic issue. The information asymmetry between industry professionals (who negotiate deals daily) and emerging artists (who may never have seen a contract) creates conditions where exploitation is almost inevitable without intervention.
The excuse that 'this is how the industry works' doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Other industries with similar power dynamics — property, finance, employment — have consumer protection regulations that mandate transparency, cooling-off periods, and plain-language disclosure. Music has minimal equivalent protections, and the gap is routinely exploited.
The Real Cost to Artists
The financial cost of exploitative contracts is significant but quantifiable — lost royalties, unfavourable splits, excessive commissions. The creative cost is harder to measure but arguably more damaging. An artist locked into a deal they're unhappy with makes compromised music, experiences anxiety and resentment, and may abandon their career entirely.
The mental health impact is severe. The stress of feeling trapped in an unfair contract, combined with the power dynamics of challenging someone who controls your career, creates conditions that exacerbate anxiety and depression — conditions already prevalent in the music industry.
And the impact extends beyond individual artists. Every exploitative deal that enters public knowledge (and more are becoming public as social media gives artists platforms to speak) damages trust between artists and the industry. When emerging artists hear horror stories, they become suspicious of all deals — including fair ones — which slows their career development.
What Needs to Change
Mandatory cooling-off periods for all music industry contracts. No contract should be binding within 14 days of signing, giving artists time to seek independent advice. This simple measure, common in consumer law, would prevent the pressure-signing tactics that exploit artists' excitement and naivety.
Plain-language contract summaries should be required alongside the legal text. Every contract should include a one-page summary in clear English stating: what rights are you giving up, for how long, what money will you receive, and under what conditions can you exit. If a deal can't be explained simply, it's probably unfair.
Accessible legal support for emerging artists. Organisations like the Musicians' Union and Help Musicians provide some legal resources, but they're insufficient for the scale of the problem. Government-funded legal aid for music contract review would be a relatively low-cost intervention with massive impact.
Industry self-regulation with teeth. Industry bodies should establish and enforce minimum standards for contracts with unsigned or emerging artists. Companies that consistently use exploitative terms should face consequences — exclusion from industry events, public accountability, and regulatory attention.
What Artists Can Do Right Now
Educate yourself before you need to negotiate. Read about contract terms, understand the basics of publishing and master rights, and know what's standard versus what's exploitative. The knowledge in this article and others like it is your first line of defence.
Never sign anything on the spot. Any legitimate deal will still be there tomorrow, next week, or next month. If someone pressures you to sign immediately — 'this offer won't last,' 'we need an answer tonight,' 'other artists would kill for this' — that pressure is itself a red flag.
Get independent legal advice. Not the lawyer recommended by the person offering you the deal — your own, independent music solicitor. The Musicians' Union provides legal advice to members, and some solicitors offer initial consultations at reduced rates for emerging artists.
Talk to other artists who've dealt with the same company or individual. The music community is smaller than you think, and artists who've had bad experiences are usually willing to share them privately to protect others.
The Industry We're Fighting For
At Noise, our position is unambiguous: the exploitation of young artists is indefensible, and any industry structure that enables it needs to change. We believe in fair deals, transparent terms, and a power balance that respects artists as partners rather than commodities.
The music industry should be a place where talent is nurtured, creativity is respected, and business relationships are built on mutual benefit. This isn't naive idealism — it's the foundation of a sustainable industry. Labels, managers, and publishers who invest in fair, transparent relationships with artists build loyalty, longevity, and reputation. Those who exploit build short-term profit and long-term resentment.
The change won't come from the top — it'll come from artists who demand better, and from companies like Noise that build alternative structures. Every artist who educates themselves about their rights, every contract that's negotiated fairly, every exploitative practice that's called out publicly moves the industry closer to where it should be.
The music industry's future should be artist-first. We won't stop pushing until it is.