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Artist agreements / Artist listing agreement

Artist listing agreement: a free page, a fee only on gigs we bring

These are the terms behind a free page on C4E Talent, written as a template any agency can use. They are short on purpose. A listing should not need a lawyer.

For education only. Not legal advice.

For education only. This template is general information, not legal or tax advice, and not a lawyer-drafted document. C4E Talent is a talent agency, not a law firm, and using this template does not create a lawyer-client relationship with anyone. Law and tax rules change and differ by state and country. Have a lawyer or chartered accountant review it for your situation before anyone signs. You use it at your own risk.

Written by C4E Talent, a talent management agency in Mumbai. Updated 28 October 2026.

The short answer

A listing agreement covers a performer who is listed by an agency or booking site without being managed by it: what goes on the page, that it is free and not exclusive, the fee on gigs the agency introduces, when the artist is paid, what happens if a client the agency introduced rebooks directly, and how to come off the list. This template covers it in 10 clauses.

Who signs
The artist and the agency or site that lists them.
When
Before the page goes live.
Length
10 clauses, each with a plain-English note
Formats
Word and PDF. Free, no sign-up.

Our numbers: free to list, 15% of the fee on gigs we bring, nothing on gigs the artist finds, payment within 7 days of the client paying us. Read how to register.

The agreement, clause by clause

Each clause reads as it does in the download. Fill the [BLANKS], and where a line starts with ☐, keep the option you want and strike the rest.

1

The parties

1.1This agreement is made on [DATE] between [ARTIST NAME], professionally known as [STAGE NAME], of [ADDRESS] (the "Artist"), and [AGENCY NAME], of [ADDRESS] (the "Agency").

What it meansLegal name and stage name, as on every invoice.
2

The listing

2.1The Agency will publish a page for the Artist at [URL], showing the Artist's name, photo, biography, videos, languages, cities and rates, as supplied or approved by the Artist.

2.2The Agency will not change the Artist's rates on the page, or publish the Artist's phone number or email, without the Artist's agreement.

2.3Listing is free. The Agency charges nothing to create, keep or remove the page.

What it meansFree, and your numbers stay yours. The phone number stays off the page so enquiries come through the agency, which is how the agency earns its fee.
3

Not exclusive

3.1This agreement is not exclusive. The Artist may take bookings directly, through other agents and through other sites, and owes the Agency nothing on them.

What it meansThe opposite of the marketplace terms performers complain about, which ban side deals and fine the artist for one. You keep your own work.
4

Gigs the Agency introduces

4.1When a client contacts the Agency about the Artist, or the Agency puts the Artist forward for a brief, the Agency will pass the enquiry to the Artist with the date, city, audience and budget.

4.2The Artist decides whether to take each gig. Each gig the Artist accepts is contracted using the Artist Booking Agreement or terms at least as good, with the fee, GST, TDS, travel, cancellation and payment date written down before the Artist accepts.

What it meansEvery gig is the artist's choice, and every gig is on paper before anyone says yes.
5

The Agency's fee

5.1For each gig introduced by the Agency, the Agency's fee is [15]% of the performance fee, excluding GST, travel, stay and expenses.

☐ The Agency adds its fee to the Artist's published rate when quoting the client, so the Artist receives their full rate.

☐ The Agency's fee is deducted from the performance fee.

What it meansOne number, charged only on gigs the agency brought, never on GST or the flight. The second line is a real choice: a markup keeps the artist's rate whole; a deduction keeps the client's price lower.
6

Payment to the Artist

6.1The client pays the Agency. The Agency pays the Artist the performance fee less the Agency's fee (if deducted) and any TDS, within [7] days of receiving the client's payment, with a statement for each gig.

6.2If a client pays late, the Agency chases the client, not the Artist.

What it meansSeven days and a statement. The artist should never have to chase a client the agency brought.
7

Clients the Agency introduced

7.1If a client the Agency introduced books the Artist directly within [12] months of the introduction, the Agency's fee under clause 5 applies to that booking. The Artist will tell the Agency about it.

7.2There is no other penalty, and nothing stops the Artist working with that client.

What it meansThe agency is paid for the clients it found, for a year. That is the whole of it: no fine, no lock-out, no lawyer's letter.
8

The Artist's promises

8.1The Artist confirms that the material on the page is theirs or used with permission, that the videos show their own performance, and that the rates are rates they will honour for [6] months unless they change them on the page.

What it meansA buyer books from the page. If the page is accurate, the booking goes well.
9

Coming off the list

9.1Either party may end this agreement at any time by email. The Agency will take the page down within [7] days. Gigs already confirmed go ahead on their agreed terms.

What it meansLeaving is one email. Confirmed gigs still happen, because a client is relying on them.
10

General

10.1This agreement is governed by the laws of India. The courts at [CITY] have jurisdiction. It may be accepted electronically, including by email. If any clause is unenforceable, the rest stands.

What it meansShort, and it can be agreed by email. That is enough for a free listing.

Signed by: Artist; Agency. The download has signature, name and date lines for each.

Take the agreement with you

Artist Listing and Referral Agreement: Word to edit, PDF to print. Blanks are highlighted.

Law and tax notes

Why no penalty clause

Section 74 of the Indian Contract Act 1872 limits recovery for a breach to reasonable compensation, even where a contract names a penalty. A large fixed fine for a side deal is unlikely to be enforced in full, and it drives good artists away. A fee on clients the agency introduced is enough.

Tax

If the client deducts TDS on the gross fee, the agency passes that credit to the artist with the statement in clause 6. Ask your accountant which section of the Income-tax Act 2025 applies.

Stamp duty

Stamp duty. An agreement signed in India attracts stamp duty under the Stamp Act of the state where it is signed. Pay it, usually through e-stamping, before or at signing. An unstamped agreement is not void, but a court will not accept it as evidence until the duty and any penalty are paid.

Questions people ask

Do I have to pay to be listed on a talent agency site?

Not under this template. Listing is free, and the agency earns a fee only on gigs it introduces. Sites that charge a subscription for leads are the most common complaint from performers.

Is listing with an agency exclusive?

Not under this template. You can take bookings directly and through other agents, and owe nothing on them.

What happens if a client the agency found books me directly?

Under this template, the agency's fee applies to that booking if it happens within 12 months of the introduction. There is no fine and no ban.

How do I get my page taken down?

Send one email. The agency removes the page within 7 days. Gigs already confirmed still go ahead.

The other templates