Music is ubiquitous. It's on the radio, on tv and in the movies, in elevators, in department stores, at concerts, online, and so on. While the world would not be the same without the artistic talents of musicians, they would hardly be where they are today without people who have dedicated themselves to entertainment law. There are many routes an entertainment lawyer can take, from publishing, television, film and music, to advertising and more. For a working musician, the business end can be a confusing world of legal contracts, royalties, licenses and intellectual property conflicts. Having a skilled, savvy entertainment lawyer on one's side is a fantastic way to ensure rights and interests are and remain protected.

Crucial members of the entertainment industry, entertainment lawyers specialize in all media. While a lot of what they do includes drafting and negotiating recording, licensing, publishing and other types of contracts, they are sometimes involved in arbitration and litigation matters. Some attorneys have experience in other fields such as intellectual property, bankruptcy, finance or even constitutional law with regard to First Amendment protection of free speech, which can be extremely helpful.

Anybody who produces intellectual property - fundamentally intangible products such as a song, essay, book, design concept, etc. - will benefit from hiring an entertainment lawyer. Before the Internet, copyright, trademark and intellectual property law was far less complicated. With the advent of the Internet and its vast reach, skilled entertainment attorneys are in great demand.

How a professional musician gets paid for their work has become very intricate. To illustrate one example, picture a song written by an artist/performer. Now, after that song is recorded, two copyrights are created. The first is for the song itself, and the second is for the actual recording of the song. For musicians who are signed to a record label, that label generally owns the sound recording copyright, while the musician owns the right to the song. Without an attorney, it's quite easy for a musician (who may not be savvy about the legal end of the business) to be exploited by the record company. A lawyer helps manage the details, ensuring the artist makes a fair share of profits from sales of that record, live performances, sheet music sales and the third-party licensing of a song to be used in a TV show, commercial or movie, etc.

And that's just one component of their job. Lawyers help musicians negotiate record contracts, distribution deals and all types of licenses. When there is a breach of contract or an unauthorized use of a musician's intellectual property, litigation (or at least the threat of it) may be in order.

Depending on the musician and the value of their product, millions of dollars can be made. Album sales, downloads, merchandising, song licensing, performances - all of these are prospective moneymakers. Bad contracts can lead to a significant loss of revenue for musicians, so it is in their best interest to be represented by a professional, knowledgeable lawyer.

As with any lawyer, experience and reputability are important traits. Musicians should hire an attorney who not only specializes in entertainment law, but who has direct experience drafting and negotiating recording and performance contracts, and ensuring music licensing deals are the most beneficial for the client, and who knows how to wield the power of the law in case of copyright infringement.