--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a very unusual contract. Most…" description: "\"I had a very unusual contract. Most artists actually pay for their record dates and it comes out of their royalties. I paid for nothing.\" — Jo Stafford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/jo-stafford-33925_artist_i-had-a-very-unusual-contract-most-artis_388552.jpg" --- # I had a very unusual contract. Most artists actually pay… ![“I had a very unusual contract. Most artists actually pay for their record dates and it comes out of their royalties. I paid for nothing.” quote by Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/jo-stafford-33925_artist_i-had-a-very-unusual-contract-most-artis_388552.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/jo-stafford-33925_artist_i-had-a-very-unusual-contract-most-artis_388552.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/jo-stafford-33925_artist_i-had-a-very-unusual-contract-most-artis_388552.jpg) > “I had a very unusual contract. Most artists actually pay for their record dates and it comes out of their royalties. I paid for nothing.” [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists often bear the financial burden of recording, shifting risk onto them rather than the label. **In simple terms:** Artists pay for recording costs. Key Takeaway Negotiate fair contracts. Themes music industry artist rights financial risk Mood frustrated reflective Type advice industry insight When to use this quote - independent musicians - record label deals - budget planning Key Concepts royalties contract negotiation artist exploitation Questions to Reflect On - How can artists protect themselves financially? - What alternative funding models exist? A Different Perspective Labels may offer advances to offset costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Royalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/royalty/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [I would always find a way to blow the deal and I'm not sure why. I think there was part of me that wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-would-always-find-a-way-to-blow-the-deal-and-i-m-not-sure-why-i/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [Every person at a record company didn't want to be bothered with me because I was too smart. They knew if I recorded, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-c-cooke/every-person-at-a-record-company-didn-t-want-to-be-bothered-with-me/) L.C. Cooke > [I do work a lot. I mean, most of my income, I would say, comes from live performances. And then you've got publishing, you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-do-work-a-lot-i-mean-most-of-my-income-i-would-say-comes-from-live/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [Here's the way the licensing works ... If you write a song, nobody can record your song before you do without your permission. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/here-s-the-way-the-licensing-works-if-you-write-a-song-nobody-can/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [I haven't the faintest idea what my royalties are. I haven't the faintest idea how many copies of books sold, or how many books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-haven-t-the-faintest-idea-what-my-royalties-are-i-haven-t-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Talking about a materialistic thing, I get about 13 times more royalties from Europe than I do from America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-carter/talking-about-a-materialistic-thing-i-get-about-13-times-more/) [Elliott Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-carter/) > [I can tell you this, if it wasn't for my book royalties, I'd be in debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/i-can-tell-you-this-if-it-wasn-t-for-my-book-royalties-i-d-be-in-debt/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [I've been getting publishing royalties and stuff like that. I have just been lucky. They come in at the right time. Sometimes they don't,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharoah-sanders/i-ve-been-getting-publishing-royalties-and-stuff-like-that-i-have/) [Pharoah Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharoah-sanders/) > [You might be a redneck if Exxon and Conoco have offered you royalties for your hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/you-might-be-a-redneck-if-exxon-and-conoco-have-offered-you-royalties/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [Those of us who had a perfectly happy childhood should be able to sue for deprivation of literary royalties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-patten/those-of-us-who-had-a-perfectly-happy-childhood-should-be-able-to-sue/) [Chris Patten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-patten/) > [Let's crowd source, curate, and add royalties to books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/let-s-crowd-source-curate-and-add-royalties-to-books/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [That an author takes a bow is not humility but presumption. What does the paleface want on the stage afterwards? But before the performance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/that-an-author-takes-a-bow-is-not-humility-but-presumption-what-does/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Many first-time authors are not concerned about the advance or royalties, they want the notoriety. They get smarter on their second book and look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-poynter/many-first-time-authors-are-not-concerned-about-the-advance-or/) [Dan Poynter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-poynter/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [In India, 100 of the richest people own assets worth 25% of the gross domestic product. There's something terribly wrong. No individual and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-india-100-of-the-richest-people-own-assets-worth-25-of-the-gross/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) ## More by Jo Stafford > [Whatever fame came did so not because I sought it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/whatever-fame-came-did-so-not-because-i-sought-it/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [I'll probably never put out another album because I'm a tough critic of my work, and I don't think I could come up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-ll-probably-never-put-out-another-album-because-i-m-a-tough-critic/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [You knew after eight bars that you were hearing something just absolutely new and unique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/you-knew-after-eight-bars-that-you-were-hearing-something-just/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [Songs suffer at the mercy of the performer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/songs-suffer-at-the-mercy-of-the-performer/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [Songwriting is an art unto itself, not to be confused with performing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/songwriting-is-an-art-unto-itself-not-to-be-confused-with-performing/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [There was never anything like it before in history. It was a different kind of joyous, happy screaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/there-was-never-anything-like-it-before-in-history-it-was-a-different/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [When rock came in, I wasn't bitter about it. I was puzzled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/when-rock-came-in-i-wasn-t-bitter-about-it-i-was-puzzled/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [I just learned my lyrics and tried not to bump into the trumpet player. That was my philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-just-learned-my-lyrics-and-tried-not-to-bump-into-the-trumpet/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [I had four or five years in school training as a soprano. I fell into pop singing because of economics. I got out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-had-four-or-five-years-in-school-training-as-a-soprano-i-fell-into/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [I wasn't driven. I just really loved what I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-wasn-t-driven-i-just-really-loved-what-i-did/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [The world is a pile of grunge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/the-world-is-a-pile-of-grunge/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [I've got a computer, but I won't go near it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-ve-got-a-computer-but-i-won-t-go-near-it/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [When rock music came in, I wasn't bitter about it. I was puzzled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/when-rock-music-came-in-i-wasn-t-bitter-about-it-i-was-puzzled/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) [Explore all 14 Jo Stafford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had a very unusual contract. Most artists actually pay for their record dates and it comes out of their royalties. 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