Producers push self-preservation.

Record producers are attempting to safeguard their futures by drawing up new producer agreements and guidelines for labels and management companies.

The move follows a recent summit in London, which saw more than 60 UK and US producer managers gather to discuss what many believe is the systematic erosion and devaluation of the producers' role.

Stephen Budd, founder of producer management company Stephen Budd Management, council member of the Music Managers Forum and initiator of the organisation's Producer Management Group (PMG), says there are real monetary pressures on producers nowadays.

"Very few projects generate royalties for producers anymore and in many instances producers are asked to work on projects `on spec' without being paid advances," he says. "Producers are often now expected to work for nothing."

Budd says the summit was a collective attempt to discuss the issues and come up with some new business models to address the situation because he believes the current situation is unfeasible.

"If the industry wants quality recordings, there is a need for the representatives of producers to work closely together to look at how deals and budgets can be restructured to allow the recording process to continue to employ producers in a viable manner," says Budd.

He adds the MMF has recognised the problems facing the producer community and has re-constituted the PMG, which successfully lobbied PPL some years ago for producers to receive performance income.