Decision making

[EliasGwinn]

Hello, and thanks for your time!

My question deals with making a creative decision on a recording. In a situation where you feel strongly about something but the band/musician disagrees, who has the final say? Is this something you determine at the outset of the project?

Of course, earning the musicians trust is a big part of working through creative differences. Have you had occasions where your creative instinct/taste were at complete odds with the artist? How do you resolve that?

Thanks again!

All the best,
Elias

[johnleckie]

Hi Elias
Good question. For me the final say is always with the artist...or should I say between the artist and the record company. Its them against me! But they hired me so thats the way it is and its their perogative to use my recordings in whatever way they wish... add to, subtract from, re-voice, re-arrange, remix whatever. When you take out a producer's contract the main condition is the producer assigns his copyright of the work he does to the record company to exploit and change in whatever way they wish. This can be subject to conditions within the deal but the first clause usually states thats what the contract is all about.
I have had to work through creative differences with artists and of course they can be crazy demands or ideas , but then again thats why they are artists and should be allowed full freedom.
Cheers JL