A top songwriter may demand to share the copyright under a co-publishing agreement. The expenses of recording the soundtrack are borne by the producer. For low-budget movies a composer may wear several hats. He may write, arrange, orchestrate, conduct and perform the music. A composer may even agree to produce and deliver a finished master recording at his own expense.
Some producers minimize costs by using non-union musicians or electronic synthesizers.
When a popular artist is commissioned to provide a song, a film maker will pay a creative fee for his services. The deal can be structured by providing the artist with a fund that includes payment for all writing and recording expenses. Thus the artist is paid a flat fee and is responsible for delivering the song and master and paying all recording expenses. Such a deal limits the film maker's liability for recording costs, and can provide greater compensation to the artist if expenses can be minimized. Complications arise with popular songwriters because many have entered agreements granting a publisher the exclusive right to the songwriter's services.