Before you do anything serious in a band (read: recording demos or signing any contracts), you should have a band agreement. It can be painful to decide/argue about these things, but it’s better to get it out in the clear early, during the honeymoon of the band relationship. Here are some of the main decisions you will be confronted with:
1. Name of the band (starting with an easy one here)
2. What equipment or material is each member contributing?
3. What are the goals of the band?
4. At what point will the members be expected to set aside any outside commitments or day jobs to work with the band full time?
5. Can band members be voted out? How does a member leave if they want? What will they take with them?
6. Who owns the trademarks (name, logo, slogans) of the band if the band dissolves? Who can call themselves the band still if they stick together?
7. How much capital is each member expected to contribute? What is the ownership percentage of each member?
8. How is a new member added?
9. What level of vote is required to approve major expenditures? What level to resolve a dispute: 50%? 67%? 80%?
For the full band questionnaire and to get your band agreement, click here.