No. 51Legal & Compliance
Force Majeure
Also called act of god, impossibility clause, unforeseeable event clause
What happens to the contract during unforeseeable events, pandemics, natural disasters, government actions, that prevent performance.
Neutral
Force majeure is standard; the key issue is whether it allows the label to toll the contract term indefinitely.
- Appears in
- Recording Agreement, Publishing Deal, Distribution Agreement, 360 Deal
- Topic
- Liability
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- Reviewed
- July 2026
In plain English
Force majeure clauses suspend or excuse obligations when an extraordinary event beyond either party's control prevents performance. The clause typically lists qualifying events (war, natural disaster, pandemic, government action) and specifies whether the contract is suspended or can be terminated if the event lasts beyond a defined period.
Why it matters
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that force majeure clauses matter, labels were able to toll (pause) contract terms, meaning artists remained bound for longer despite no releases or tours occurring. How the clause is structured determines whether you can exit a non-performing deal.
Where it can land
The same clause is drafted three ways. These are the positions we see, worst first, so you can tell at a glance which one is in front of you.
- Label can suspend contract obligations indefinitely for broadly defined force majeure events
- Contract term is tolled (extended) during force majeure periods, potentially years
- No artist right to terminate if force majeure continues beyond 6 months
- Force majeure events defined broadly to include economic downturns or 'acts of government'
- Tolling mechanism with no maximum period
- Force majeure tolling capped at 6 months, after which either party may terminate
- List of qualifying events is specific and narrow
The language
The drafting language and the negotiation moves for this clause are part of the workspace.
You have read what the clause means and where the risk sits. The rest is the side-by-side of how it reads when it is against you and when it is not, plus the specific moves that get it there.