Music lawyer, Matt Buser’s, recent Billboard article highlighted what every producer, mixer, and featured artist already knows – getting paid in the music industry is far harder than it should be. Tracks get released, streams rack up and money flows in, yet the people behind the music are often left waiting months or even years for their cut.

The root of the problem is not just slow payments. It is the lack of clear, standardised agreements that set out fair terms from the start. Too many deals are rushed, vague or handled far too late in the process. Collaboration agreements often get lost in a mess of legal back-and-forth, with artists, managers and labels all trying to make sense of inconsistent terms. Meanwhile, the people who made the record happen are left chasing payments, navigating disputes or, in the worst cases, never getting paid at all.

Buser outlines several possible solutions, and Songpact is already making them a reality.

A standardised agreement that works for everyone – the Songpact standard form

One of the biggest issues is the lack of a clear, fair industry standard for collaboration agreements. Without a consistent framework, deals are thrown together in different ways, leading to delays and unnecessary disputes. Songpact is changing that by creating a standard form that is fair, balanced and transparent.

Built on decades of experience reviewing these agreements, the Songpact standard form is designed to be the go-to template for the industry. Whether you are an artist, producer or session musician, you will know you are working from a fair deal that protects your rights and ensures you get paid. To reinforce this, we aim to partner with industry bodies like the UK’s Association of Independent Music (AIM), the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and local equivalents to add a further mark of approval and trust.

Faster, easier negotiations – the Songpact Q&A negotiator

Collaboration agreements should not be a headache. Right now, they involve endless emails, redlined drafts and weeks (or months) of delays. That is why Songpact has built an intuitive Q&A negotiator that makes the process effortless.

Instead of getting stuck in a legal back-and-forth, users are guided through key terms in a simple, structured way. The result? Faster agreements, clearer expectations and fewer delays to payments.

The future of music collaboration agreements

The system is broken, but the industry is ready for change. Instead of waiting for outdated processes to catch up, Songpact is providing the tools to fix it. A standardised, fair agreement. Streamlined negotiations. Faster payments. These are not just ideas – they are solutions available today.

If you are a producer, mixer, featured artist or session musician, let’s make fair deals the norm. It is time to ask: can we do a Songpact for this deal?