We recently connected with Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. and have shared our conversation below.

Erin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Early in your career, how did you think through the decision of whether to start your own firm or join an established firm?

I started my own firm right after law school/passing the bar exam. I didn’t originally plan to do it that early, but it worked out that way and was definitely the right decision.

I already had significant training and industry relationships, so I felt confident taking on clients and knew I could look for a job later if I needed or wanted to. I didn’t spend time on a complex business plan; I jumped in and filled in the gaps of what I needed as I needed it. Luckily, it worked out well and I am still running my own successful firm.

The first few years were very exciting. I met even more people and started with some very cool indie clients. As my experience and success grew, so did my clientele. Today I represent Grammy and Emmy Award winners, Oscar nominees — basically, people you’ve definitely heard of. And I still represent indies as well. It’s a great mix, but what sometimes people don’t realize is that famous artists have a lot of the same problems that indie artists do, just on a much larger scale.

Erin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve always loved music, but as a young adult, I did not know that working on the business side of music was an option. While in college at USC, I took the “Introduction to the Music Industry” course, and learned the roles of managers, agents, and attorneys within the music business. I also learned about copyrights and music industry agreements. I thought being an attorney representing and protecting artists and songwriters was the coolest job in the world, so I decided that would be my path.

After USC, I attended Southwestern Law School and after graduating and passing the California Bar Exam (the first time!), I opened my own practice and continue to own my own practice today (www.themusicindustrylawyer.com).

My clients include Grammy and Emmy Award winners, Oscar nominees, songwriters, independent music publishers and rights’ owners, independent artists and companies, and distinguished legacy catalogues and music estates, as my knowledge of both classic music and current industry practices places me in a unique position to protect and revitalize older catalogues.

I handle all types of music industry agreements, with an emphasis on music publishing, acquisitions, music estates, and copyright recapture (also called terminations or reversions). Therefore, the problems I usually solve for clients are related to negotiating contracts in regard to music copyrights, and also regaining ownership of their copyrights. I also work a lot with heirs and estates on these same issues, but also to preserve the legacy of the catalogues.

When people often think of lawyers, they think of a bunch of stuffy people in an office, and that is not my personality and I don’t run my firm that way. I support clients’ goals in customizing contracts and negotiations to their needs and also being creative and innovative in how we approach solutions for them. We are also selective about who we take on as clients, and they have to be people that we enjoy working with.

I’m very proud of the firm we have built, our reputation for excellence, and being named multiple times by Billboard magazine to their “Top Music Lawyers” list.

I’m also very proud of my book, “Don’t Get Screwed! How to Protect Yourself as an Independent Musician”, which is a clear primer on copyrights, royalties, and issues musicians face, including explanations on certain contracts and real world examples so musicians can protect themselves. The book has helped a lot of people, and that is really gratifying.

Outside of my firm, I founded and own a second company called Indie Artist Resource (www.indieartistresource.com), which provides contract templates for independent musicians needing DIY solutions.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think what helped build my reputation was (1) being excellent and what I do, and (2) treating others with respect. The music industry is a business built on relationships, and word gets around if your work or your personality are problematic. My work and personality speak for themselves, and those that know me know that.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

My clientele has grown organically, so I didn’t have a specific marketing strategy. I am in the media a lot and also have written a lot of articles and spoken at a lot of events. People find me there, on the internet, from word of mouth, from my book, etc. They really come from many places.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themusicindustrylawyer.com / www.indieartistresource.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themusicindustrylawyer
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinjacobson/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MusicIndustryLawyer
• Other: Book: https://dontgetscrewedbook.indieartistresource.com