A hotly debated term in the music industry, 360 deals have indeed managed to capture the attention of record labels and artists alike. It is important for any artist whether solo act, band member or producer to understand exactly how these deals work and who ends up with the bigger payoff. Before I get started explaining what a 360 deal encompasses I would like to take a few steps back and remind us all of what has been the purpose of a record label in the past and how the business model has changed.