Interview

Avi Dahan On EDM Artist Development, Contracts, And Coachella

Published

5 months ago

May 21, 2026

Avi Dahan On EDM Artist Development, Contracts, And Coachella as he breaks down the business behind lasting artist careers

Avi Dahan entered the music business before his career in law, first through DJing, producing, promoting events, and later through internships at Columbia Records, Live Nation, and WME. That early experience gave him a working view of the label, live, and agency sides of the industry before he went on to become a music attorney and founder of Dahan Law Group. Today, his work spans both Dahan Law Group and Funkshway, connecting legal strategy with artist development through rights, contracts, team structure, visual identity, collaborations, and long-term career planning. Speaking to EDM House Network, Avi Dahan breaks down what emerging EDM artists need before a breakthrough moment, how bookings like Coachella often come from years of smaller decisions, and why contracts, royalties, content rights, and label choices can affect an artist’s career as much as the music itself.

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How did you first get your start in the music industry, and what was the path that led you to run both Dahan Law Group and Funkshway?

I started in music long before I became a lawyer. I was DJing, producing, and promoting events, so my first connection to the industry was very hands-on. I understood what it felt like to create music, build a scene, get people in a room, and try to create moments around records and live experiences.

When I was in college, I interned across different parts of the music business, including Columbia Records, Live Nation, and WME. That gave me exposure to the label side, the live side, and the agency side of the industry. It was a huge education because I got to see how many different pieces have to work together to build an artist’s career. Eventually, I decided to go to law school because I realized that the people who understood the contracts, rights, leverage, and business structure had a major impact on what happened to artists. I did not become a lawyer because I was outside of music looking in. I became a lawyer because I was already in music and wanted to understand the business at the highest level.

Practicing as a music attorney, and eventually starting Dahan Law Group, came before Funkshway. I had been practicing music law for about seven years before I decided to start the label. During that time, I helped artists, producers, managers, and labels structure deals, build their businesses, protect their rights, and make strategic decisions. Funkshway became a natural extension of that experience. I was able to take the knowledge I had gained helping artists and labels build their careers and apply it to creating something special of my own. To me, Dahan Law Group and Funkshway are connected by the same mission: helping artists and music entrepreneurs build real, lasting careers.

Working as both a music attorney and a label founder gives you two very different views of an artist’s career. How has that changed the way you approach artist development and long-term decision-making?

It has made me much more holistic in how I think about artist careers. As a music attorney, I am not only looking at risk. I am helping artists protect their rights, put together the right team, secure foundational deals, understand their leverage, and make strategic decisions from both a legal and business perspective.

As a label founder, I am thinking deeply about artist development: the artist’s sound, identity, vision, audience, visuals, collaborations, and overall positioning. Because of my years DJing and being around dance music, I have developed an instinct for what a dance record should sound and feel like. And because I represent artists, writers, producers, and creative companies as a lawyer, I am able to plug developing DJs and artists into a broader creative community and help create meaningful collaborations.

Once the music is right, we can connect artists to DSP editors, marketing experts, DJs, platforms, and other partners who can help build exposure. Then, as the sound develops, we also help the artist sharpen their vision and visual aesthetic so the brand matches the music and identity. The legal background gives me a strong foundation, but the creative and label side allows me to apply those skills in a more active way. I am not just advising from the outside. I am helping build.

AYYBO and RØZ both recently made their Coachella debuts, with AYYBO connected to Funkshway and RØZ represented by Dahan Law Group. What did those moments show you about the work that happens before an emerging artist reaches a stage like that?

Those moments were really meaningful because they showed how much work happens before the public sees the breakthrough. When an artist gets to a stage like Coachella, people see the set, the crowd, the photos, the videos, and the celebration. What they do not always see are the years of developing the music, refining the brand, building the team, and making strategic decisions before that moment arrives.

With AYYBO, we took a lot of time before his first breakout records making sure the music felt massive and that his sound, visual identity, and overall brand were properly developed. From there, we continued building momentum through strategic collaborations and tasteful looks that elevated his identity, helped him attract the right agent, and allowed him to start building a real live community.

As the sound and identity continued to develop, the show and overall experience developed too. He kept building the brand step by step until it was ready for stages like Coachella. I have seen a similar process with RØZ from the legal and advisory side. The music matters, but so does the foundation around it: the team, the business, the live show, the identity, the relationships, and the ability to keep developing until the opportunity and preparation meet. Coachella is not just a booking. It is often the result of many smaller creative, strategic, and business decisions compounding over time.

When you look at artists you have worked with from their early stages, what are some of the habits, decisions, or business moves that helped them grow into more established names?

The artists who grow usually treat their careers seriously before the outside world validates them. They are consistent, they communicate well, they keep improving, and they take the time to understand who they are. That authenticity matters. The strongest artists are not just trying to sound or look like whoever is popular at the moment. They are building from a real identity.

Creatively, they continue to level up: musically, visually, and operationally. They work with better collaborators, better producers, better designers, better creative directors, and better team members as they grow. They understand that each stage of the career requires a higher level of execution. On the business side, they enter into smart deals, understand their rights and obligations, and honor those obligations. They operate with honesty and integrity. That sounds basic, but it matters. This business is relationship-driven, and the artists who last usually understand that reputation is part of the career.

For emerging EDM artists trying to build sustainable careers, what advice would you give beyond the usual focus on making music, playing shows, and posting online?

My biggest advice is to build infrastructure around the art. Making great music is the foundation, but it is not the whole career. You need a team, a vision, and a professional approach.

That means finding the right manager, label, agent, lawyer, and other partners when the time is right, and making sure everyone is aligned on the vision. It also means treating the art like a job. Show up every day, create, follow through, and be a professional.

Artists should have contracts with the people they work with, understand their rights, and get proper counsel from a music lawyer before signing important agreements like recording deals, management agreements, producer agreements, publishing deals, or major collaboration agreements. They also need to be in the scene. Network with DJs, label A&Rs, agents, promoters, managers, and other artists. Go to shows. Build real relationships. Get backstage when you can and connect with the people who actually move the needle. A career is built through music, but it is also built through community.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you see emerging artists make when they start gaining attention but do not yet have proper contracts, legal support, or a business structure in place?

The biggest mistake is assuming everything can be cleaned up later. Sometimes it can. Sometimes it cannot. Artists often release records without confirmed splits, collaborate without written agreements, use vocals or samples without proper rights, or sign documents they do not really understand because they are excited that someone is interested. Then, when the record starts working, people suddenly remember the deal differently.

I have also seen situations where collaborators make claims to rights they do not really have, but because there is no contract clearly proving otherwise, the artist is stuck dealing with that claim. That can create leverage against the artist even when the claim is weak.

Another major issue is clearance. If a song uses an uncleared sample, vocal, flip, or interpolation, it can lead to infringement claims or takedown notices after the song is already gaining momentum. That can kill a record at the exact moment it is starting to work. The irony is that these problems usually show up when things are going well. The earlier an artist builds the foundation, the easier it is to move quickly when real opportunities come.

When an artist is securing a performance deal for a major festival like Coachella, what are some behind-the-scenes elements people outside the industry may not realize are involved before the booking is finalized?

One thing people may not realize is that the fee an artist receives is not always going directly into the artist’s pocket. Early in an artist’s career, a major festival can be a brand-building opportunity, so the artist may reinvest a large portion of the fee into production, visuals, camera crews, set design, rehearsals, special guests, performers, travel, and other costs.

By the time the artist covers the crew, production team, creative team, travel, lodging, and everything else needed to make the moment feel elevated, there may be very little left, or sometimes nothing left, after expenses. But that investment can be worth it if the performance helps move the artist’s career forward.

There is also a lot of preparation behind the scenes. The artist has to prepare the set, make sure the visuals fit the brand, coordinate with lighting, performers, camera crews, production staff, and the festival team. A major festival performance is not just about showing up and playing records. It is about creating a moment that represents the artist at the highest level.

Which contractual details matter most in high-profile festival agreements, especially around billing, radius clauses, exclusivity, cancellation terms, travel, payment schedules, and content rights?

All of those details matter because each one can affect the artist’s money, flexibility, and career strategy. Billing matters because it affects how the artist is presented publicly. Radius clauses and exclusivity can impact the artist’s ability to play other shows in important markets before or after the festival. Cancellation terms are critical because festivals can be affected by weather, production issues, force majeure events, illness, travel problems, or other circumstances outside the artist’s control.

Payment schedules should be clear: deposit, balance, reimbursements, taxes, and timing. Travel and hospitality also need to be addressed carefully. For high-profile festivals, it is important to make sure there is enough budget to cover production, crew, travel, lodging, and related costs so the artist does not end up losing money on the show.

Content rights are increasingly important too. Festivals often want the right to film, livestream, photograph, post, or otherwise use the artist’s performance. Artists need to understand where that content can be used, for how long, whether sponsors can use it, whether it can be monetized, and whether the artist has any approval rights.

EDM artists often work as DJs, producers, songwriters, remixers, performers, and brand collaborators at the same time. How does that change the way you structure agreements for them compared with more traditional artist deals?

In the dance and DJ world, the structure is often very different from the traditional artist world. DJs are not always signing long-term label deals with one company. Many are releasing with multiple tastemaker dance labels, building relationships across the scene, and prioritizing the growth of their live DJ career.

That can be a great strategy because it allows artists to stay culturally relevant and reach different audiences. But the downside is that if an artist is jumping from label to label, they may not have a consistent team, vision, or long-term development plan. So the key is balance. You want to affiliate with tastemaker labels and platforms that keep you relevant in the scene, but you also need a broader artist development strategy. Someone has to be thinking about the artist’s identity, sound, visuals, live show, fanbase, and long-term business.

From a deal perspective, you also have to be precise because the same artist may be acting as a DJ, producer, remixer, songwriter, performer, and brand partner. Each role has different rights, obligations, and revenue streams, so the agreements need to clearly separate master rights, publishing rights, producer royalties, remix fees, performance fees, name and likeness rights, content rights, approvals, credits, and backend participation.

Collaborations in electronic music can move quickly between producers, vocalists, writers, and featured artists. What should be confirmed before a track is released so ownership, splits, credits, and royalties are handled properly?

Before a track is released, everyone should confirm master ownership, publishing splits, producer royalties, featured artist terms, vocalist rights, credits, royalty payment process, approval rights, and who has the authority to distribute or license the track.

In dance music, there are also a lot of flips, samples, interpolations, loops, acapellas, and other third-party materials being used. Those rights need to be cleared before release. If a DJ flips or samples an existing track, that can require negotiating with the original rights holders over ownership, royalties, publishing, approvals, and other terms. Those negotiations can affect every collaborator on the new track.

Artists also need to understand the label terms before committing everyone’s rights. What is the label taking out of royalties? How are they accounting? What rights do they control? Are there deductions, distribution fees, marketing costs, or recoupable expenses? Those terms impact all of the creatives involved. The best practice is simple: handle the business before the release, not after the record starts gaining traction.

Streaming has changed the way artists earn money, but many artists still struggle to understand how royalties move. From your view as both a label founder and music attorney, where do you see the biggest confusion or risk?

The biggest confusion is that artists hear the word “royalties” and think it means one thing. In reality, there are multiple royalty streams and multiple ways royalties can be calculated. There are master royalties, publishing royalties, performance royalties, mechanical royalties, producer royalties, neighboring rights in some territories, YouTube and UGC income, SoundExchange-type income for certain uses, and direct license income in some cases.

Even on the master side, the calculation can vary dramatically. A royalty may be based on PPD, gross receipts, net receipts, net profits, or a net artist royalty. There is the artist share versus the label share. There may be a distribution fee taken off the top. There may be recoupable costs. There may be different accounting rules depending on the artist’s deal with the record company.

That is where things can become extremely complicated and convoluted. Two deals may both say the artist gets a royalty, but the actual calculation can produce very different results. Understanding the royalty chain and the accounting language is essential if an artist wants to know what they are really earning.

A label deal that works for one artist may be completely wrong for another. How do you evaluate whether an artist should sign a traditional label deal, choose distribution, or stay independent at a specific point in their career?

It depends on the artist’s team, leverage, resources, goals, and what services they actually need. A distribution deal usually means the artist keeps more control and often more economics, but it also means fewer services. The artist and their team may need to spend more money, do more work, and take on more responsibility around marketing, content, strategy, rollout, and operations.

A fuller label deal may require a bigger commitment from the artist, but the right label with the right team can sometimes deliver much stronger results. If the artist needs brand development, global growth, marketing support, creative strategy, playlisting, radio, content, or a team that can really help build the vision, then a deeper label relationship may make sense. The team matters a lot. Who at the label is actually working on the project? Do they understand the artist’s vision? Do they have the relationships, taste, and resources to execute? Are they thinking long term or just chasing one record?

For an artist who wants to build a global brand and develop a real identity, it may be better to build a longer-term relationship with one label that truly understands the artist and is willing to invest resources into that vision. For another artist with a strong internal team, distribution may be enough. The best deal is not always the biggest check or the highest royalty. It is the deal that matches what the artist needs at that specific stage and gives them the best chance to build the career they actually want.

For emerging artists, the main lesson from Avi Dahan is that EDM artist development has to go beyond music releases, shows, and online visibility. The strongest careers usually have structure behind them: contracts that protect the artist, teams that understand the vision, royalty terms that are properly understood, and label or distribution choices that fit the stage of the career. Through his work with Dahan Law Group and Funkshway, Dahan points to a simple but important reality in dance music: the business side matters most when the music starts working, and artists who prepare early are in a stronger position when bigger opportunities arrive.

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Preetika Narula

With 13 years in the EDM scene, Preetika has built a strong presence around festivals, club culture, and electronic music. Based in Bangkok, she covers all things EDM in Thailand and beyond, with a focus on both local and international talent. She has attended major festivals including Tomorrowland, Ultra Japan, and Creamfields Hong Kong. Since working as a writer for EDM House Network, she has interviewed artists such as Blasterjaxx, James Hype, W&W, R3HAB, Alok, and many others. Her experience and consistent presence in the scene make her a trusted voice for EDM coverage.