How does payment for FREER Records’ artists work?

Regardless of our artist’s prison-impacted status, our model stays the same. We have an exclusive licensing agreement for the body of work an artist creates under FR, meaning we do not sign the artist, but rather the project. In our licensing contract, the artist owns 100% of their masters for said project, and FR retains license to exploit the record.
Artists receive gross royalties as opposed to net, a unique feature which provides financial support from the outset of revenue being generated. The revenue split is 60/40 – artist majority – and the merchandise revenue split is 50/50 (excluding vinyl, which is 75/25 – label majority).
For incarcerated artists, the access to their funds depends on which state they are serving time in, as different agencies have varying policies on administering royalties. We work with each state directly to ensure our artists are compensated legally as soon as possible.

Do you accept unsolicited submissions from artists who have been or are currently in prison?

No. We currently do not have the capacity.

How do you find artists?

For formerly incarcerated artists, we contact them directly. However, several of our artists are currently incarcerated, and in these cases, access to a prison always comes first. Once access is granted, we identify Project Directors within the facility.

How are you funded?

At this stage, being that we do not generate large amounts of revenue from our projects, we are mostly funded through donations and grants. Your support is greatly appreciated and keeps us running! Click here to donate.

Does FREER Records not work with certain individuals based on their criminal convictions?

No. We encourage our team to work with formerly and currently incarcerated artists of all backgrounds regardless of their criminal conviction. At FR, we believe that no person is defined solely by their past actions. Denying artists — who have proven to be serious and team-worthy despite their past — would go against our value of Representation. In the rare instance that a conflict does arise between team member and artist, we seek ways to resolve this conflict and/or explore other ways for these parties to contribute where they feel comfortable. Read more about our Values.