What Is a Split Sheet? How to Split Song Ownership

You made a song with a producer, a feature or a friend who helped with the hook. It sounds great, everyone is hyped, and nobody talked about who owns what. That is exactly the moment a split sheet is for. It takes ten minutes now and can save you a lot of trouble once the song starts making money.

What is a split sheet?

A split sheet is a short written agreement that lists everyone who worked on a song and the percentage each person owns. Songtrust, a publishing administrator, describes it as "a written agreement that identifies the percentage of ownership each collaborator on a song will receive". Everyone signs it, everyone keeps a copy, and from then on there is one answer to the question "who gets what?".

It is not a copyright registration, and it does not replace one. It is proof of what you agreed.

Why you need one (even with friends)

• No agreement means equal shares. Under US copyright law, joint authors "in the absence of agreement to the contrary, share equal and undivided ownership of the joint work", according to the US Copyright Office. So if three people wrote a song and nothing is written down, the starting point is a three-way equal split, even if one person did most of the work.
• Your PRO needs the percentages. When you register a song with ASCAP or BMI, you enter each writer's share. ASCAP says it "cannot tell you how to divide your shares", so you have to agree on them yourselves.
• Conflicts freeze things. BMI enters a song into its database with the shares from the first registration it receives. If a co-writer later files something different, BMI asks for documentation or written confirmation from everyone involved before it changes anything. A signed split sheet is that documentation.
• Labels, distributors and sync deals ask for it. Anyone who pays out money on your song wants to know that the ownership won't be disputed later.

Song splits vs master splits

Every released track is really two things, and the US Copyright Office treats them as two separate works:

• The song (composition): the music and the lyrics. Its authors are the people who wrote them. This is where songwriter and publishing royalties come from, collected by PROs like ASCAP and BMI.
• The master (sound recording): the actual recording. Its authors are the performers and producers who captured and shaped the sound. Streaming payouts for the recording usually come in through your distributor or label.

A split sheet can cover the song, the master or both. Just write clearly which one each percentage is about. Mixing the two up is one of the most common reasons people argue later.

Quick note on writer and publisher shares

PROs split song royalties into a writer side and a publisher side. BMI explains it as one unit of 200%: writers' shares total 100% and publishers' shares total 100%. On your split sheet you normally agree on the writer percentages, which add up to 100%. If a writer has a publisher, that publisher's part is handled on the publisher side when the song is registered.

What goes on a split sheet

There is no official template, but a good one has at least this:

1. Song title and the date you made it. Add working titles too, so nobody gets confused later.
2. Samples or interpolations, if any. Songtrust lists this as a basic part of the sheet, because a sample can mean someone else also owns part of the song.
3. Each contributor's legal name and artist name.
4. Role: lyrics, melody, beat or production, or a mix of these.
5. Percentage of the song (composition) for each person. The total must be exactly 100%.
6. Percentage of the master, if you are splitting the recording too. Again, 100% in total.
7. PRO of each writer (for example ASCAP or BMI) and their IPI number if they know it, plus their publisher or publishing administrator if they have one.
8. Contact details (email at least).
9. Signatures of everyone listed.

How to decide the percentages

There is no fixed rule. Songtrust puts it simply: dividing splits "is completely up to you and your co-writers". A few ways people handle it:

• Equal split for everyone in the room. Fast and friendly. Works well when everyone added something real.
• Music vs lyrics. For example, the producer takes a share for the beat and melody, the artist takes a share for the lyrics and topline. How big each side is, is up to you.
• Based on what each person wrote. More precise, but it takes more talking. Do it right after the session while everyone still remembers.

Songtrust also points out that hip-hop and dance producers may ask for a bigger share because their hooks and melodies drive the song, and that some producers work for a flat fee instead of a share. Whatever you choose, agree on it before the release, not after the first payout.

Rapping on a leased beat?

Then the producer is a writer on your song too, because they made the music. A beat license can say something about the producer's share of the song, so read it before you fill in your split sheet. Our guide on which beat license you need for Spotify and YouTube explains what to look for. If nothing is stated, talk to the producer and put what you agree on the split sheet.

Want a beat made for your track with everything clear from the start? You can also request a custom made beat and discuss the details up front.

Step by step: your first split sheet

1. Talk about splits during or right after the session. It feels awkward for about a minute. Waiting until the song pops is much worse.
2. Write it down. A shared doc or a printed page both work. Use the list above.
3. Double-check the totals. Song percentages add up to 100%. Master percentages, if you include them, add up to 100% too.
4. Everyone signs. A real signature or a digital one. Send everyone a copy.
5. Register the song. Each writer registers with their PRO using the same percentages. Matching registrations keep the money moving.
6. Save it with your release files. Next to your WAVs, cover art and ISRC codes, so you can find it in two years.

Working with people in other cities? Our guide on collaborating remotely with a producer or feature covers the files and workflow side. And if one of your co-writers is based in the Netherlands, they register with BumaStemra instead: here is how BumaStemra and Sena work.

What is your share actually worth?

A percentage only means something once you know roughly what the song earns. Put your stream count and your share into the free streams calculator to get a quick estimate per platform. It shows estimates for the recording side, not exact payouts, and your distributor's dashboard is always the final word. For the background on how streaming money is calculated, read how much Spotify pays per stream.

FAQ

Is a split sheet legally binding?

It is a written agreement signed by everyone involved, which is far stronger than a verbal promise. How much weight it carries depends on what is in it and on local law. For big deals or disagreements, talk to a music lawyer. This article is general information, not legal advice.

When should we fill in the split sheet?

Songtrust advises signing once everyone agrees the song is finished. You can already note the rough split in the session itself and sign the final version before release.

Do I need a split sheet if I wrote the song alone?

Not for the song itself. But if you used a beat from someone else, the producer is a writer too, so you are not alone anymore.

What if we can't agree?

Don't release the song until you do. Without an agreement, the equal-split starting point applies to joint authors in the US, and conflicting PRO registrations can hold up payments.

Can a split sheet be changed later?

Yes, if everyone signs a new version. Keep in mind that BMI does not make retroactive adjustments for later share changes, so a new split only counts from when BMI receives it.