Exclusivity narrows who an artist can work with, and it turns up in two different places.
Agency exclusivity
An agent asks to be the only one selling the artist's shows in a territory for a fixed term. Two or three years is normal in Europe, often with a target attached: a minimum number of shows or a minimum gross, and the artist can walk away if it is missed.
Promoter and festival exclusivity
A festival buys the right to be the artist's only appearance in a region that season. It works like a Radius clause but wider: no other festival in the country between May and September, for example.
What to negotiate
- The territory, listed as countries rather than as a vague region
- The term, with an end date
- Carve-outs: private shows, showcases, radio, a support slot on a big tour
- What happens on a breach, and who decides
Exclusivity is worth money. Price it rather than granting it for free.