Music Publishing and Copyright

Music publishing is one of the most misunderstood and financially significant areas of the music industry. A song generates two separate copyright interests — the composition copyright (the underlying musical work and lyrics) and the sound recording copyright (the specific recorded performance). Each generates separate income streams through performance royalties, mechanical royalties, synchronization licenses, and digital streaming royalties — and each can be owned, co-owned, licensed, or assigned independently.

Publishing rights matter more than most creators realize. Ownership does not start with the recording — it starts with the writing. A songwriter who signs away their publishing rights without understanding the consequences may forfeit decades of royalty income and lose control over how their music is used in film, television, advertising, and other commercial contexts. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC counsels songwriters, composers, and publishers on copyright ownership, publishing agreements, co-publishing arrangements, administration agreements, and synchronization licensing throughout Florida and beyond.

We also represent clients in copyright infringement disputes — pursuing claims on behalf of rights holders whose music has been used without authorization and defending clients against infringement allegations. Copyright litigation in the music industry requires both substantive knowledge of copyright law under the Copyright Act of 1976 and practical understanding of industry custom and practice — both of which The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC brings to every matter.

Artist Management and Management Agreements

The relationship between an artist and their manager is one of the most important and potentially consequential professional relationships in the entertainment industry. A manager who is given broad authority to act on an artist's behalf — negotiating deals, making career decisions, and controlling business relationships — must be governed by a clearly drafted management agreement that defines the scope of authority, the compensation structure, the term of the relationship, and the conditions under which either party may terminate.

The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC drafts and negotiates artist management agreements for both artists and managers throughout South Florida. Richard P. Corey's direct experience as a manager in the entertainment industry gives him a perspective on these agreements that purely transactional lawyers cannot offer — he understands what a manager actually does, what compensation is reasonable and customary, and where management agreements most frequently generate disputes. We advise artists on commission structures, sunset provisions, post-term commission obligations, and the specific provisions that protect an artist when a management relationship ends badly. We advise managers on the scope of authority provisions, expense reimbursement, and the protections that ensure compensation for work performed during the term of the agreement.