Licensing Terms

[federu]

Recently I found this paragraph in a Licensing Terms Sheet:

If the mix of any Master Recording is not of a sufficiently high standard in the Publisher’s reasonable opinion then the Publisher shall be entitled to require delivery of all relevant Wav files comprising such Master Recording, including all relevant effects, and the Publisher shall be entitled to use the same to mix the said Master Recording to an acceptable standard. All recording costs shall be the responsibility of the Writer.

The company behind this is not a label but is licensing music on a non-exclusive basis. To be fair the conditions are looking good (50/50).
The catch is that one is asked to upload recordings, these will be approved by the publisher (and promoter) and then if acceptable put into an online catalog. Ok so far.

But that paragraph quoted causes me headaches, it sounds like a (possible, maybe not intended as) trap.

What do you think?

Thank you for reading, I hope I am understandable

[BertKoor]

As I understand it, if they think your mix/master is not up to par, they can ask you for the stems. Then they mix/master it again, at your cost. The reasoning is understandable: to have high quality standards in their catalog, not to obtain stems.

Maybe you should just ask them: if that happens, can I opt out and withdraw the track, or at least fist be given the chance to fix the mix/master myself?

[federu]

Thanks for your answer, but please read my post again. People upload their recordings, the publisher then approves and accepts. Or refuses. So this paragraph in the terms seems to be part of something else, namely a label-contract where one has agreed to deliver something.
That is the reason why this makes me wonder for what this is for. Finally I won't accept it, for sure.

[BertKoor]

People upload their recordings, the publisher then approves and accepts. Or refuses.

And the third option is some grey area between acceptance and refusal: the publisher decides the music is alright but mixing/mastering needs to be done again. Now my question is whether in that case you can withdraw.

So this paragraph in the terms seems to be part of something else, namely a label-contract where one has agreed to deliver something.

I see no label contract. This paragraph describes a certain right the Publisher has. In article 1: who is defined as Publisher? "Delivering" is uploading by Writer, right? Then by doing that you "agree" the Publisher will publish it (if it's all up to his standards)

[federu]

Any possibility to withdraw a recording is (as far as I know) not mentioned.

'Publisher' is the company running the online catalog, 'Author' or 'Writer' the musician.

Yes, that grey area. That is unacceptable in my opinion.
I asked the 'publisher' to remove the mentioned paragraph from the terms. But they say it is common standard. I could not find this standard anywhere, though.