How Do I Decide on Splits?

Everything is negotiable.

When you compose/write a song without any help, you automatically own 100% of its copyright. There is no need to register it with the U.S Copyright Office; your work is automatically protected under copyright law the minute it is in a fixed, tangible form like a tape recording or CD.

If you work with a co-writer, producer, or team, everything is negotiable. Co-writers often split publishing 50/50 or 33/33/34, for instance. Or a producer might take anywhere from 10% to 50% as part of a deal with you.

Whatever the case may be, it’s better to get an agreement in writing early on in the process than to argue about your assumptions later. Download our Split Sheet Template for this purpose.

After you’ve reached a consensus on co-writing credits, and completed this Split Sheet, then you can register your songs and begin collecting.

Interested in learning more? Check out our blog post, 'Art of a Manager' Discusses Splits.

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