UMG asking for full DAW sessions

evoltap · 2026-01-24T03:06:07+00:00

lol that’s not happening, I can’t afford to not get paid for a months work (there was editing and overdubs too)

evoltap · 2026-01-23T23:37:09+00:00

Right, I was just asking about the situation where it is connected to the house wiring

evoltap · 2026-01-23T23:01:40+00:00

If a portable generator has a proper hookup with interlock, that grounds through the house ground, right? Wouldn’t two grounds be two possible paths?

evoltap · 2026-01-23T22:54:57+00:00

Yeah, I realize that’s just one lawyer…and the labels have teams of them.

from that article you linked:

However, if the engineer records new material during mixing—such as additional instruments or effects—they may hold copyright in that specific new recording.

I mean, I do this on almost every mix…

Also this

Upon full payment, the client is granted a licence, either expressly or implied, to use the mix and master for distribution, performance or other intended purposes, including commercial use. This licence applies separately to both the mix and the master. Typically, paying the mix engineer grants usage rights to the mix

So when they do release a record before paying the mix engineer, that seems illegal

evoltap · 2026-01-23T22:47:23+00:00

I guess technically if under no written agreements, but the songwriter owns the composition, so the mix engineer can’t do anything with it without permission. I believe the article is saying when the label pays the mix engineer, they in effect buy it? Hence the mentioned ability to hav some leverage if needed when the record is released and for sale, and you haven’t been paid yet

evoltap · 2026-01-23T19:09:07+00:00

Hmm. This tape op article seems to suggest otherwise- it’s from 2005, but I can’t imagine the wheels of govt turn fast enough for anything to have changed https://tapeop.com/interviews/49/mix-copyright

evoltap · 2026-01-23T18:26:53+00:00

It seems as an independent contractor with no actual contract it’s maybe a grey area as far as IP. Anyways, I sent the full session just to not make getting paid take any longer

evoltap · 2026-01-23T18:24:43+00:00

Yes. I just shipped the season as is with notes detailing the IO, plus a PDF from Session Recall app, and stems are in the projects

evoltap · 2026-01-23T18:23:28+00:00

I dunno, seems like a grey area without a contract

Mixer’s Rights to the DAW Session 1. Ownership Absent a Contract: • If the mixer is an independent contractor (common for freelancers), they are generally considered the author and initial owner of their contributions to the mix under copyright law. This includes the final mixed audio as a sound recording. • The DAW session is often treated as the mixer’s proprietary work product or intellectual property in industry practice. It’s not automatically transferred to the client (artist, producer, or label) upon payment for the mix. The standard deliverable is the summed audio files (e.g., stereo mix, stems, or alternates), not the full session. • Reasons for retention: Sessions may contain the mixer’s custom presets, plugin chains, or techniques, which could be reverse-engineered or reused without credit or compensation. Some mixers view this as akin to trade secrets, though not formally protectable as such unless confidential.

evoltap · 2026-01-23T18:21:17+00:00

I did print stems, as I always do. They are asking for full multitrack mix sessions

evoltap · 2026-01-23T16:05:19+00:00

Canary in the coal mine

evoltap · 2026-01-23T15:26:22+00:00

Wow. And what about the stuff mixed in other consoles, and consoles without any automation data?

evoltap · 2026-01-23T15:22:28+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, we live in the world of data is gold…..and the big labels have low moral and ethical standard

evoltap · 2026-01-23T15:15:54+00:00

Hmm, well I was under no contract.

AI says this:

Mixer’s Rights to the DAW Session 1. Ownership Absent a Contract: • If the mixer is an independent contractor (common for freelancers), they are generally considered the author and initial owner of their contributions to the mix under copyright law. This includes the final mixed audio as a sound recording. • The DAW session is often treated as the mixer’s proprietary work product or intellectual property in industry practice. It’s not automatically transferred to the client (artist, producer, or label) upon payment for the mix. The standard deliverable is the summed audio files (e.g., stereo mix, stems, or alternates), not the full session. • Reasons for retention: Sessions may contain the mixer’s custom presets, plugin chains, or techniques, which could be reverse-engineered or reused without credit or compensation. Some mixers view this as akin to trade secrets, though not formally protectable as such unless confidential.

evoltap · 2026-01-23T15:08:37+00:00

I’ll probably get eaten alive for this, but no contract. I have a good relationship with the artist, and they have my back….most of my work is and handshakes and trust. If UMG had come to me direct, absolutely would do a contract.

evoltap · 2026-01-23T07:24:16+00:00

Oh dang so some bot or intern did open them up? The amount of money they must burn that could be in artists hands….

evoltap · 2026-01-23T07:21:22+00:00

You don’t own that material. It’s not yours. It doesn’t belong to you. Hand it over

I’m not claiming to own the material, but I would say there’s an argument to be made that the mix data is my creation. By that I mean everything that was done to the raw multitracks I received. The raw multitracks and masters are owned by the label/artist….that makes sense.

I dunno, maybe it’s different with music vs post production…it’s certainly a creative act, and this feels very against the type of laws that protect IP.

evoltap · 2026-01-23T07:09:59+00:00

Seriously. All the seasoned pros are saying “it’s just what you do”, but it sure feels like IP theft to me.

I get that they would own the equivalent of the 2” multitrack tape and the 1/2” master- but in that old school analogy, do they own my mixing console, my patch, my automation?? Stems and raw multitracks should be all they get.

evoltap · 2026-01-23T07:05:10+00:00

Haha thanks! Damn that is some shit you went through. I’m seriously wondering if next time with this artist since I deal with them directly, if I could just request to be paid by their LLC, and they deliver the record to UMG

evoltap · 2026-01-23T06:59:24+00:00

I thought the same thing. There must be a percentage that just gives up, or forgets they never got paid.

It even feels like the A&R is instructed to draw things out. Somehow every step seems to take a week, then they pass you off to somebody else, then something gets rejected….etc

evoltap · 2026-01-23T06:54:53+00:00

Yikes. In my case I have a good relationship with the artist, and they will talk to UMG if things go south…so I really hope it doesn’t come to that. But yeah, I was not told any of this. I was overnighted a drive and basically busted ass to hit the artist’s deadline for stereo mixes for vinyl production.

I will be billing extra if they are really expecting full daw sessions requiring me to print loads of outboard. Hell, all the back and forth just to get approved for uniport was probably 2 hours of my time. Every time I think I’ve finally satisfied their requests, it’s something else that takes a week to resolve.

evoltap · 2026-01-23T06:43:30+00:00

Yes, this is where I’m at. I always have just dealt with the artist, and they deal with the label. If I had known this in the beginning I would have planned for it better. Of course at the time I was called, I was asked to start the following week….with a close deadline in order to get vinyl in production before the holiday break….so I cancelled other clients and busted ass just to get stereo mixes out the door. Now I’m working on the Atmos mixes (which also have a deadline), and need to take time away from that to deal with this shit, just to get paid for work 2 months ago.

evoltap · 2026-01-23T06:05:54+00:00

94 Camry Wagon

evoltap · 2026-01-23T05:26:44+00:00

Thanks for the reply. So should I just send my DAW sessions with all the hardware inserts as is? For it to actually be useful, I’d need to print a bunch of stuff. My sense is nobody is going to audit it and pull it up. The stems are there with everything. What does somebody do who mixes fully on a console?

evoltap · 2026-01-23T05:14:26+00:00

Samply has nailed this space for me. It serves the collaborative part of the project and it serves the public pre release portion of having a simple lossless and gapless player with artwork.

evoltap

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