APPENDIX C
The Teacher / Venue Agreement
A plain-language template for putting your partnership — and, crucially, who owns what — in writing before you begin.
The chapters on the venue partnership and on who owns the night made one point above all: get it in writing, before you begin, while everyone is friendly. This template lists the terms worth settling and gives you space to record what you and your venue agree to — so a real attorney can turn it into a proper agreement, and so nothing important is left to a fragile handshake.
The Parties and the Night
Teacher / instructor name:
Venue name and address:
Venue contact / owner:
The night (day, time, frequency):
Start date and any agreed term:
Money and Payment
Spell out exactly how money flows — the payment model, who pays whom, when, and for what. Be specific; vagueness here sours partnerships.
Payment model (e.g. flat fee, door split, cover charge, lesson fees, or a combination):
Who collects what, and who pays whom:
When and how payment is made:
Who covers costs (band, sound, promotion, supplies) and how:
Who confirms and pays any applicable music public-performance licensing or reporting obligations:
Roles and Responsibilities
Who does what job. Clarity here prevents the resentment that comes from assumed, unspoken duties.
Responsibility | Teacher | Venue |
|---|---|---|
Teaching / running the lesson | ||
Booking / paying the band or music | ||
Sound system and equipment | ||
Promotion and marketing | ||
Door / admission / ticketing | ||
Floor and room setup | ||
Safety, security, and staff |
Mark each row, or note the specifics, so no job is left to “someone will handle it.”
Promotion, Filming, and Conduct
Who promotes the night, on which channels, and how you cross-promote:
Filming policy for the room — who may film, what may be used, and how consent is handled (see Appendix I):
Conduct expectations and how problems / removals are handled:
Ownership — The Terms Most People Forget
The chapter on who owns the night warned that this is where partnerships break. Settle it now, in writing, reviewed by an attorney, while everyone is on good terms. Who owns the students, the contact list, the night’s name and identity, and the audience?
Who owns the student and customer contact list:
Who may collect, store, export, share, and use that list — and for what stated purposes:
How people opt in, unsubscribe, request deletion, and receive the privacy terms:
Who owns the night’s name, brand, and identity:
If the partnership ends, who keeps what — the night, the name, the list, the audience:
Any non-compete or non-solicitation terms (have an attorney review these carefully — the law here is specific and changing):
Ending the Partnership
Notice required to end the arrangement (by either party):
Cancellation terms for individual nights (weather, low turnout, conflicts):
How a clean, fair exit works, and what each party keeps:
Insurance and Liability
Who carries what insurance (general liability, the venue’s coverage, your own):
Alcohol service, TABC compliance, and safety responsibilities (the venue’s duties — confirm with them and with counsel):
Signatures — After an Attorney Reviews It
Do not treat filled-in blanks as a binding contract. Once a licensed attorney has drafted or reviewed your actual agreement, sign that document, not this worksheet.
Teacher signature / date:
Venue signature / date:
FINAL REMINDER None of this is legal advice, and this worksheet is not an enforceable contract. Independent-contractor status, non-competes, ownership of intangible assets, alcohol-service liability, and premises liability all carry real legal consequences and vary by circumstance and over time. Consult a qualified Texas attorney, and where relevant a CPA and your insurer, before you rely on any arrangement described here. See Appendix K for the series disclaimers. |
Put this chapter to work
Continue the lesson with connected resources
The chapter explains the principle. These resources help you practice it, document it, calculate it or train it in the room.
Use the resource that matches the decision in front of you. A tool supports judgment; it does not replace current law, venue policy, qualified professional advice or the person responsible for the operation.