Finding legal counsel to review recording contracts is a critical step
for any musician. In Nashville, there are established resources
dedicated to providing pro bono or sliding-scale legal assistance
specifically for the creative community.

Pro Bono Legal Resources in Nashville
The primary organization for connecting Nashville-based artists with
legal help is the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts
(VLPA). They are an excellent starting point for income-qualified
artists, musicians, and creatives.

Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA)

What they do: They offer legal services including contract drafting
and review, copyright advice, and assistance with other business
matters.

abcnashville.org
Contact Information:
Address: 1900 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: (615) 460-8274
Email: [email protected]
Website:

abcnashville.org
Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS)

What they do: TALS supports the statewide network that coordinates
with groups like the VLPA to assist artists and musicians across
Tennessee.

tals.org
Website:
tals.org
Tennessee Arts Commission

What they do: They often aggregate information on legal clinics and
resources available to Tennessee-based creatives.

tnartscommission.org
Understanding Key Contract Terms
When reviewing your record label contract with an attorney,
understanding these common terms can help you ask better questions.
Please note that this information is for educational purposes and does
not constitute legal advice.

1. Black Box Royalties
"Black box" refers to a pool of money—often millions of dollars—that
has been generated by the use of music but remains unclaimed or
unallocated. This happens when the collection society (such as a PRO
or mechanical licensing agency) cannot identify the rightful
songwriter, publisher, or artist associated with the track.

Why it matters: If your data is not registered correctly across all
collection platforms, your royalties may end up in this "black box,"
making it difficult or impossible to collect them later. Ensuring your
metadata and split sheets are 100% accurate is the primary way to
avoid your earnings ending up in the black box.

support.tunecore.com

musicmoneymakeover.com
2. 360 Deals
A "360 deal" is an exclusive contract where the record label takes a
percentage of virtually all of an artist's income streams, not just
revenue from recorded music sales. This typically includes touring,
merchandise, endorsements, and sometimes even personal appearances or
songwriting income.

Why it matters: These deals are often "cross-collateralized," meaning
the label can use revenue from one successful stream (like merch
sales) to recoup the costs or advances from an unsuccessful one (like
a failed album release). This can make it very difficult for an artist
to become profitable from the label's perspective.

indiemusicacademy.com

publications.lawschool.cornell.edu
3. NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements)
An NDA is a legally binding contract that establishes a confidential
relationship. In the music industry, NDAs are commonly used when an
artist is entering early-stage negotiations, accessing proprietary
label data, or working on unreleased projects where protecting trade
secrets or intellectual property is vital.

Why it matters: Signing an NDA restricts what you can share publicly
or with third parties regarding the contents of the agreement, the
compensation involved, or business strategies. Before signing any NDA,
you should have an attorney review it to ensure it does not unfairly
limit your ability to discuss your own career or seek advice from
other professional representatives.
Next Steps
Do not sign anything yet. If you have a contract in front of you, ask
the label for time to have it reviewed.
Contact the VLPA. Reach out to them via the email or phone number
provided above. When you contact them, clearly state that you are a
Nashville-based musician and have received a record contract that you
need reviewed.
Prepare your documents. Have a copy of the contract ready, along with
a list of specific questions you have, such as "How are my advances
recouped?" or "What revenue streams does the label claim?"
artistadvocacygroup-nashville.com


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Below is a website-ready list of legal and artist-support resources
for Nashville musicians seeking record-contract review,
entertainment-law referrals, pro bono assistance, and related
services. Contact details should be rechecked periodically before
publication.

Legal and pro bono resources
Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA)
Best for: Pro bono or reduced-cost legal assistance for
income-qualified Tennessee artists, musicians, and creative
businesses. Services may include record-contract review, copyright,
trademark, business formation, licensing, and general arts-related
contracts.

Phone: (615) 460-8274
Email: [email protected]
Address: 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212
Website: https://abcnashville.org/vlpa/
Suggested website description:
“VLPA connects eligible Tennessee artists and musicians with volunteer
attorneys and other professionals for legal and business assistance.
Eligibility and service availability may vary.”

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS)
Best for: Statewide legal-services information, referrals, and support
for Tennessee residents who may qualify for free or reduced-cost legal
assistance.

Website: https://www.tals.org/
Relevant information: TALS has supported programs serving Tennessee
artists, musicians, writers, and other creatives.
Suggested website description:
“TALS provides statewide legal-help information and connections to
Tennessee legal-service resources. Artists should explain that they
need entertainment-contract or music-business assistance when
requesting a referral.”

Tennessee Arts Commission
Best for: Information about Tennessee arts programs, artist resources,
workshops, grants, and occasional legal clinics or referrals.

Website: https://tnartscommission.org/
Relevant resource: The Commission has published information regarding
pro bono legal clinics for artists, musicians, and creatives.
Suggested website description:
“The Tennessee Arts Commission is a statewide arts agency that
publishes information about artist-support programs, educational
opportunities, and community resources.”

National Directory of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Best for: Finding volunteer-lawyer and arts-law programs outside
Nashville or when a local referral is unavailable.

Directory: https://vlany.org/national-directory-of-volunteer-lawyers-for-the-arts/
Suggested website description:
“This directory helps artists locate volunteer-lawyer programs and
arts-law organizations by state or region.”

Additional legal and professional referral resources
Tennessee Bar Association — Lawyer Referral and Information Service
Best for: Finding a Tennessee-licensed attorney when pro bono
representation is unavailable. Ask specifically for an attorney
experienced in entertainment law, recording agreements, music
publishing, intellectual property, or contract negotiation.

Website: https://www.tba.org/
Suggested website description:
“The Tennessee Bar Association can help individuals locate legal
information and attorney-referral resources. Referral availability,
fees, and eligibility requirements may vary.”

Nashville Bar Association
Best for: Local attorney referrals and information about
Nashville-area legal programs and clinics.

Website: https://nashvillebar.org/
Suggested website description:
“The Nashville Bar Association is a local professional association
that may provide information about attorney referrals, legal
education, and community legal resources.”

Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts Clinics
Best for: Artists who need a short consultation or initial review
before deciding whether full representation is necessary.

Primary contact: VLPA
Phone: (615) 460-8274
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://abcnashville.org/vlpa/
Important: Clinics may provide limited-scope assistance rather than
full representation. Artists should ask whether the appointment
includes contract review, negotiation, or only general legal
information.

Music-business and rights resources
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)
Best for: U.S. digital mechanical royalties, songwriter and publisher
registrations, ownership information, and unidentified or unallocated
royalty issues.

Website: https://www.themlc.com/
Suggested website description:
“The MLC administers U.S. blanket mechanical licenses for eligible
digital music services and provides tools for songwriters and music
publishers to register works and manage mechanical royalties.”

SoundExchange
Best for: Certain digital performance royalties for featured artists
and sound-recording rights owners.

Website: https://www.soundexchange.com/
Suggested website description:
“SoundExchange collects and distributes statutory digital performance
royalties for eligible sound recordings. Artists should confirm
whether they are registered as a featured artist and whether their
sound-recording ownership information is accurate.”

Copyright Claims Board
Best for: Certain smaller copyright disputes involving registered—or
registration-eligible—works.

Website: https://www.ccb.gov/
Suggested website description:
“The Copyright Claims Board is a voluntary forum for certain smaller
copyright disputes. It is not a substitute for advice from an
attorney, particularly when a recording agreement includes
arbitration, releases, indemnity, or forum-selection provisions.”

Contract topics this website can explain
Black-box royalties
“Black box” generally refers to royalties that have been collected but
cannot be matched to the correct songwriter, publisher, artist, or
rights owner because of missing or inaccurate data.

Artists should ask a lawyer to review:

Who receives unidentified or unallocated royalties
Whether the label can claim unmatched income
Royalty-accounting and audit rights
Registration obligations for songs and recordings
Metadata, split sheets, songwriter names, and ownership percentages
Whether the label must correct registration errors
Royalty statements, payment deadlines, and reserves
Black-box income may involve different royalty systems, so artists
should avoid assuming that all unclaimed royalties are handled the
same way.

360 provisions
A 360 agreement may give a label a percentage of multiple income
streams in addition to recorded-music revenue, such as:

Touring
Merchandise
Endorsements and sponsorships
Fan-club income
Brand partnerships
Live appearances
Publishing or songwriting income
Artists should ask counsel to examine:

Which income streams are included
The label’s percentage and deductions
Whether the label must provide services in exchange
Cross-collateralization
Recoupment and accounting
Audit rights
Sunset provisions after termination
Exclusions for pre-existing deals or independently obtained income
Whether the label can approve or control outside business opportunities
NDAs and confidentiality clauses
An NDA may restrict disclosure of the contract, compensation,
unreleased music, business plans, or label information.

Before signing, an artist should ask an attorney whether the NDA:

Allows disclosure to the artist’s lawyer, accountant, manager, and tax
professionals
Allows legally required disclosures
Protects the artist’s own confidential information
Has a reasonable duration
Defines confidential information clearly
Contains excessive penalties or attorney-fee provisions
Prevents the artist from discussing workplace misconduct or unlawful conduct
Conflicts with other contract rights
Restricts the artist from seeking professional advice
Suggested website disclaimer
The information on this page is provided for general educational and
referral purposes only and is not legal advice. Artist Advocacy Group
Nashville is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation
unless expressly stated otherwise. Contact information, eligibility
requirements, fees, and services may change. Artists should
independently verify each organization’s current information and
consult a Tennessee-licensed attorney before signing a recording
agreement, NDA, 360 agreement, publishing agreement, management
agreement,