Last updated: 15 September 2026
This Music Production & Release Agreement applies to music production projects undertaken by Moreish Studios and/or Shane Jarvie-Kohn (“Moreish Studios”, “Producer”, “we” or “us”).
It should be read together with the Moreish Studios Terms & Conditions and any quote, invoice, project confirmation, split sheet or other written agreement relating to the particular project.
The purpose of this Agreement is to clearly establish what happens when Moreish Studios contributes creatively to an artist’s music, including ownership, songwriting, producer rights, credits, royalties and permission to commercially release the finished recordings.
The artist retains ownership of all music, lyrics, recordings and other material they owned before providing it to Moreish Studios.
Working with Moreish Studios does not give Moreish Studios ownership of songs, lyrics, melodies or other material that the artist created independently.
Likewise, the artist does not automatically acquire ownership of pre-existing material belonging to the Producer or another contributor merely because it is used during a production session.
Unless a different arrangement has been agreed in writing, where the artist commissions and pays Moreish Studios to produce and/or record a track, the artist will control and own the finished commissioned master recording once all agreed production and recording fees relating to that master have been paid in full.
This allows the artist to commercially release, distribute, promote, licence, sell and otherwise exploit the finished master recording without needing further permission from Moreish Studios, subject to:
Moreish Studios will not independently release or commercially exploit an artist’s master recording.
Payment for production does not, however, automatically transfer ownership of separately protected songwriting or composition contributed by the Producer or another songwriter.
Producing a song does not automatically make the Producer a songwriter.
Activities such as recording, engineering, editing, mixing, mastering, giving production advice, choosing sounds or providing general creative direction do not by themselves automatically create a songwriting entitlement.
However, where the Producer makes an original contribution to the underlying musical composition or lyrics, that contribution may constitute songwriting.
Examples may include creating an original:
There is no automatic percentage based simply on how much of the production the Producer has completed.
Where a genuine songwriting contribution has occurred, the songwriting share should reflect the creative contribution and should be agreed between the relevant writers.
Where Shane Jarvie-Kohn or another Moreish Studios contributor has participated in writing a song, the parties should agree the songwriting percentages before commercial release.
Where possible, those percentages should be documented in writing or in a split sheet and registered consistently with APRA AMCOS or the relevant performing-rights organisation.
Track: __________________________
Writer: _________________________
Share: ______ %
Writer: _________________________
Share: ______ %
Writer: _________________________
Share: ______ %
The total songwriting ownership should equal 100%.
Moreish Studios will not claim a songwriting share merely because production services have been provided.
Equally, payment of a production fee does not automatically buy out a genuine songwriting contribution made by the Producer unless a separate written agreement expressly provides for that transfer.
Where the Producer owns an agreed songwriting share, the Producer grants the artist permission to commercially release and exploit the agreed finished recording containing that contribution, provided:
The intention of this clause is that a legitimate co-writing interest should not prevent the artist from normally releasing, performing, promoting or commercially exploiting the song.
The Producer’s songwriting share continues to participate in applicable songwriting and publishing income in accordance with the agreed split.
Songwriting royalties arising from the composition are separate from income generated by ownership or exploitation of the master recording.
Where the Producer has an agreed songwriting share, that share may generate applicable performance, mechanical, publishing or other composition-related income.
Where practicable, the relevant writers should register the same agreed percentages with APRA AMCOS and any other relevant collecting society, publisher or administrator.
Songwriting royalties are not subject to recoupment of the artist’s recording or production costs unless the parties expressly enter into a different written arrangement.
Each songwriter is responsible for maintaining their own memberships, registrations, publishing arrangements and tax obligations.
A songwriting share and a producer royalty are different things.
Moreish Studios does not automatically receive a royalty from the master recording merely because it produced the track.
A producer royalty or other participation in master income will only apply where it has been specifically agreed in writing for that project.
Where applicable, the project confirmation should state:
Producer royalty: ______ %
or
No producer master royalty applies.
If a producer royalty is agreed, the written project agreement should also state whether it is calculated from gross receipts, net receipts or another agreed basis and whether any agreed production costs are recoupable before the royalty becomes payable.
Unless expressly agreed otherwise, no producer master royalty should be assumed.
A producer master royalty is separate from any songwriting share held by the Producer.
Where the parties specifically agree that a producer royalty is payable only after production costs have been recouped, the relevant written agreement should identify those recoupable costs.
Unless otherwise agreed, recoupment means that the artist first recovers the agreed production costs for the relevant recording from income actually received from exploitation of that master.
Once those specified costs have been recouped, the agreed producer royalty becomes payable from subsequent relevant master income.
General artist expenses, unrelated recording costs, living expenses, touring costs, marketing expenditure or other costs should not be treated as recoupable against the Producer unless expressly agreed in writing.
This recoupment provision applies only to an agreed producer/master royalty. It does not automatically defer or cancel an agreed songwriting share.
Production fees are payment for the production services described in the relevant quote or project agreement.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, payment of a production fee does not:
All project fees must be paid in accordance with the Moreish Studios Terms & Conditions.
Final release-ready material may be withheld while relevant invoices remain unpaid.
If the Producer creates an original beat, instrumental, melody, musical backing or other compositional element specifically for the artist’s track, its songwriting ownership should be addressed as part of the songwriting split.
Once the production fees have been paid and the agreed songwriting rights have been documented, the artist may use the Producer’s contribution as part of the agreed song and finished recording without needing to seek repeated permission each time the song is streamed, sold, performed or otherwise normally exploited.
The Producer retains the rights associated with their agreed songwriting share unless those rights are separately assigned in writing.
Unless otherwise agreed, material created specifically and exclusively for an artist’s released production will not knowingly be resold by Moreish Studios to another artist as though it were an exclusive new composition.
Occasionally a production may contain material that existed before the particular project, including beats, samples, loops, compositions or other material owned or controlled by the Producer.
Where material is not being created exclusively for the artist, Moreish Studios will endeavour to make that clear before release.
Any special ownership, licensing or royalty conditions relating to substantial pre-existing Producer material should be agreed separately in writing.
The artist must tell Moreish Studios if material supplied for the project contains samples, beats, recordings, compositions or other material owned by third parties.
Unless Moreish Studios has specifically agreed to arrange clearance, the artist is responsible for obtaining any permissions or licences required to commercially release third-party material supplied by the artist.
Where Moreish Studios proposes incorporating third-party material into the final production, the parties should discuss any necessary clearance before commercial release.
No statement by Moreish Studios that a sample “sounds fine” or is technically suitable should be treated as legal confirmation that the material is cleared for commercial use.
Additional musicians, vocalists, songwriters or other creative contributors may participate in a production.
Payment of a session fee does not automatically make a session musician a songwriter.
However, if a session musician or other contributor creates original music or lyrics that form part of the underlying composition, any songwriting interest should be discussed and agreed separately.
Where Moreish Studios engages session musicians on the artist’s behalf, applicable session fees and arrangements will be disclosed as part of the project wherever reasonably practicable.
Where the artist independently brings another contributor into the project, the artist is responsible for ensuring any necessary permissions, credits and rights arrangements with that contributor are addressed.
Where applicable, the artist agrees to provide fair and accurate professional credit for work performed by Moreish Studios.
Typical credits may include:
Produced by Shane Jarvie-Kohn at Moreish Studios
Recorded by Shane Jarvie-Kohn at Lily Street Studios
Mixed by Shane Jarvie-Kohn at Moreish Studios
Mastered by Shane Jarvie-Kohn at Moreish Studios
Where another Moreish Studios team member or external contributor performs the relevant role, their appropriate credit should be used instead.
Songwriting credits must reflect the agreed writers and percentages.
Credits do not need to appear in the song title or artist name. They should be supplied wherever professional credits are ordinarily supported, including relevant distributor metadata, liner notes, release information, publishing registrations or other appropriate locations.
An accidental omission should not automatically constitute a serious breach where it is corrected within a reasonable time after the artist is notified.
Once the requirements of this Agreement have been satisfied, the artist does not need to obtain new permission from Moreish Studios each time the finished master is:
Any agreed songwriting rights continue to apply to the composition.
Any agreed producer master royalty continues to apply to exploitation of the relevant master according to its agreed terms.
If the song is later re-recorded by the artist or another party, ownership of the underlying composition remains governed by the agreed songwriting splits even though the new recording is a different master.
The artist may enter into a label, distribution, licensing or other commercial agreement involving the finished recording.
Any such arrangement must remain subject to existing songwriting rights and any producer royalty or other rights expressly agreed under this Agreement.
The artist should not represent that they exclusively own rights which have previously been agreed as belonging partly to another songwriter or rights holder.
If ownership of the master is transferred to another party, any existing producer royalty applying to that master should continue to be honoured by the artist or appropriately assumed by the new owner as part of that transaction.
The artist may seek opportunities to place the finished master in film, television, advertising, games, online media or other synchronised uses.
Where a sync use requires permission from owners of both the master recording and the underlying composition, the artist should obtain any approvals required from the relevant rights holders.
Where Moreish Studios or Shane Jarvie-Kohn owns an agreed share of the composition, approval for legitimate commercial opportunities will not be unreasonably withheld.
Any applicable composition income will be allocated according to the agreed songwriting ownership unless otherwise agreed for the particular licence.
Draft productions, demos, work-in-progress versions and unfinished recordings are provided for project development and evaluation.
An artist should not commercially release a work-in-progress production represented as a completed Moreish Studios production before the agreed production fees have been paid and any material unresolved rights issues have been addressed.
Moreish Studios will not independently release or distribute an artist’s unfinished work.
Once the artist has paid the agreed fees and the relevant rights arrangements have been resolved, Moreish Studios does not retain a general right to prevent the artist releasing the finished master.
If there is disagreement over whether a contribution constitutes songwriting or what an appropriate songwriting split should be, the parties agree to make a genuine attempt to resolve the issue before commercial release.
Where possible, the parties should document creative contributions while a project is being made rather than attempting to reconstruct them after release.
If agreement cannot be reached, the parties may agree to:
Neither party should knowingly register conflicting songwriting percentages without first attempting to resolve the disagreement.
Nothing in this Agreement is intended to improperly remove any moral rights that cannot lawfully be assigned or excluded.
Contributors consent, to the extent permitted by law, to reasonable editing, mixing, mastering, arrangement, formatting and adaptation necessary for the ordinary production, release and exploitation of the agreed track.
The parties will use reasonable efforts to provide accurate authorship and professional credits where appropriate.
Once the artist or an authorised representative has publicly released the finished track, Moreish Studios may identify its involvement in the project as part of its professional portfolio, discography, website, social media or promotional material.
This may include linking to or embedding an official publicly available version of the released work.
Moreish Studios will not commercially release the artist’s music itself under this clause.
If a project requires confidentiality beyond the public release date, that arrangement should be agreed in writing.
The general Moreish Studios Terms & Conditions continue to apply to matters such as:
This Agreement deals specifically with the additional ownership and release issues arising from music production.
Where a project-specific written agreement expressly changes a provision of this Agreement, the project-specific agreement will apply to that particular project.
Music production varies considerably from project to project.
The parties may agree different songwriting percentages, producer royalties, ownership arrangements, buy-outs or other commercial terms for a particular project.
Any such variation should be recorded in writing.
A simple project confirmation might state:
Artist: ______________________________
Track / Project: ______________________
Producer: ____________________________
Production Fee: _______________________
Songwriting Share — Producer: __________ %
Songwriting Share — Other Writer(s): _____ %
Producer Master Royalty:
None / ______ %
Recoupment applies to producer royalty:
Yes / No
Agreed Recoupable Amount: ______________
Additional Terms:
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
The artist and Moreish Studios should confirm any project-specific songwriting splits, royalties or ownership variations in writing before commercial release wherever those matters apply.
Electronic signatures and other written confirmation may be used where legally effective.
The artist should not commercially release a production while a material ownership or songwriting issue remains unresolved.
This Agreement is governed by the laws applicable in Victoria, Australia.
Nothing in this Agreement excludes or limits any right or remedy that cannot legally be excluded, including applicable rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
If a dispute arises, the parties agree to first make a genuine attempt to resolve it directly and reasonably before pursuing formal dispute-resolution options.
Moreish Studios
8 Lily Street
Coburg North VIC 3058
Australia
Questions regarding production rights, songwriting splits, producer royalties or credits should be raised before release so the relevant arrangements can be documented clearly.
