The Teacher / Venue Agreement

A plain-language template for putting your partnership — and, crucially, who owns what — in writing before you begin.

i Important use information Review the legal, safety, or professional-guidance limits before using this material. Read notice Important use information Read before using this material This notice remains part of the page, but it no longer interrupts the main reading flow.

× This template is a starting point for conversation and organization only. It is NOT a legal contract, NOT legal advice, and NOT a substitute for a qualified attorney. Riley is not a lawyer, and nothing here should be used as a binding agreement as written. Before signing anything that affects your money, your work, your ownership rights, or your liability, have a licensed Texas attorney draft or review your actual agreement. Laws — including those governing independent contractors, non-competes, and business ownership — change and vary by situation. Use this only to organize your thinking and to make sure the right questions get asked and answered by the right professionals.

Read the sitewide disclaimers I understand

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.