Featured Artist Agreement Template

What is a featured artist agreement?

A featured artist agreement sets the terms when a lead artist brings a guest onto a track — a verse, a hook, a shared vocal or an instrumental part. It records what the guest is paid, who owns the recording, how the song's writing is split, exactly how the credit reads, and whether the guest's label has signed off.

This template covers the contribution and delivery date and format, one round of re-recording, label clearance (with the fee repaid if consent is refused), a fee paid on signing, on delivery or half and half, as a flat fee or a recoupable advance, an optional royalty on the master with statements and an inspection right, the lead artist owning the recording, the guest's songwriting share (a percentage now or a split sheet later), the credit joiner (feat., ft., with, & or x), use of name and likeness, approval of the final mix, three options for the music video, social posts at release, rights returning if the track isn't released within the months you set, remixes and live performance, and a ban on AI voice models without consent.

When to use a featured artist agreement

• Paying an established artist a flat fee for a 16-bar verse
• Two independent artists trading features with royalty points instead of fees
• A guest who is signed to a label and needs written label clearance
• A feature that includes appearing in the music video
• Formalising a feature that was agreed by message before release

What you fill in

27 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: lead artist, featured artist.

What the featured artist agreement covers

1. The feature
2. Label clearance
3. Payment
4. Ownership of the recording
5. Songwriting
6. Credit and name
7. Approvals
8. Video and promotion
9. If the Track is not released
10. Remixes, live performance and conduct
11. General

Using the featured artist agreement, step by step

1 Enter both artists

Add each artist's legal and professional names, and the featured artist's record label if they are signed — the template then requires the label's written consent before release.

2 Describe the feature

Choose the contribution — a verse, verse and hook, hook only, shared vocal or instrumental — add details such as length, and set the delivery date and file format.

3 Agree payment and songwriting

Enter the fee and when it is paid, whether it is a flat fee or an advance, any royalty points on the master, and the guest's share of the composition, or keep the default to settle it in a split sheet.

4 Credit, approvals and promotion

Pick the credit joiner, whether the guest approves the final mix (and in how many days), the video option, how many social posts the guest makes at release, and when rights return if the track stays unreleased.

5 Send for signature

Send it to the featured artist. Once signed, the PDF is filed in your vault — keep it with the split sheet and the label's clearance.

Tips before you send it

• If the guest is signed, ask for label clearance early. If the label refuses consent, the template lets you remove the feature and recover any fee paid.
• Get every writer to sign a split sheet before release. If it differs from this agreement, the split sheet prevails for publishing.
• Spell the credit exactly as it should appear on streaming services — distributors often reject inconsistent artist names.
• Agree video dates early. Travel and accommodation for the shoot are on the lead artist under the template.

Featured artist agreement: frequently asked questions

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This template is a general starting point, not legal advice. Laws differ between countries and states — have a lawyer review the agreement for your situation before you rely on it. Page last reviewed 2026-10-25.