A 360 deal is a record contract where the label takes a percentage of everything — not just record sales, but touring, merchandise, sponsorships, publishing, and sometimes even acting or modeling income. The name comes from the label claiming a full 360-degree circle around your career revenue. Before you sign anything like this, understand exactly what you are trading away.
The pitch sounds reasonable: the label invests heavily in developing you, so they share in everything they help build. In practice, the label’s cut — often 10-30% of each revenue stream — comes on top of recoupment, meaning you pay back their investment from your share before you see profit, while their 360 percentages keep flowing regardless.
Should you sign one?
For most independent artists, the answer is no — or at least, not the first offer. If you are already generating income from shows, merch, and streams, a 360 deal means handing percentages of revenue you built yourself to a label that did not. The artists who benefit are usually those with zero leverage who genuinely need full-scale investment and cannot get it any other way.
If you are considering one, negotiate: carve out income streams the label will not touch, cap the 360 term shorter than the recording term, and push the percentages as low as possible. Have an entertainment lawyer — your lawyer, not theirs — review every line. Leverage is everything: the more you build independently, the less of your 360 you have to give up. Never sign under pressure — a label that will not give you time for legal review is telling you everything you need to know.
About the Author – Ruben Burgos: Ruben Burgos brings over 25 years of music expertise and more than 15 years of model guidance to the table. He is the indie major pinnacle to retaining credits for musicians and helping them navigate this wicked industry without the fuckery.