Before you sign your next licensing agreement, perform a “Ghost Audit” on your production. Use these questions to smoke out the hidden costs before they haunt your bottom line:
- The Mobility Test: Can I share this digital script with my guest designers and stage management team without paying an additional “Seat Fee”?
- The Archival Clause: Am I required to “destroy” my digital files after the show? (A partner house allows you to keep your production notes and marked scripts for your own archives).
- The Printing Freedom: Am I allowed to print exactly what I need on-site, or am I forced to buy overpriced physical books that I eventually have to ship back?
- The Success Alignment: Is the licensing house providing me with high-resolution marketing assets and digital masters, or am I on my own once the check clears?
By asking these questions upfront, you shift the power dynamic. You stop being a passive payer and start being an informed partner.
