Latest Action

Since 2020 the MVPA has been working alongside Director, Ian Pons Jewell backed by the organisation ‘We Direct Music Videos’, to continue supporting production companies and their directors. The contractual terms within the already existing video agreement, have been developed and improved in response to industry feedback highlighting the issues currently being faced within the production of music videos. (You can read more about WDMVs previous work of improving the pitching process by clicking HERE.) 

Due to unpredictable marketing pressures within record companies, we are continuously seeing music videos produced on fluctuating production budgets. Labels and their artist’s want highly creative, executed music videos (a well-crafted music video can catapult an artist’s track and career) however what happens if the record label has a budget as low as £10k but are still expecting the same results as a £100k plus budget?

Production companies are incredibly versatile and nimble with the ability to deliver on these promos, however the increasing pressures of securing crew and equipment on a low budget, coupled with the continuous need for production companies to nurture and offer work out to their talent is not sustainable and is now resulting in additional investment being offered up by the production companies and at times the director themselves.

This extra investment could be as high as 50% of the overall production budget to enable the video to be creatively delivered to the standards expected and most importantly to make it even possible to source crew and equipment on an acceptable rate. Regardless of this additional investment being made there is no recognition from the labels who are still expecting to own all rights to the video from the outset. If additional investment is being offered, production should be remunerated in recognition of this investment and able to benefit more than being allowed to use the video on the director’s showreel.

The latest MVPA music video agreement addresses these issues along with others to ensure a consistent framework is maintained with a contractual basis that is clearer and fairer.