Understanding songwriting split sheets
Get familiar with songwriting split sheets, and learn how to share royalties with co-creators.
As an independent musician, collaboration with other artists can be incredibly rewarding. However, when it comes to writing songs together, it’s crucial to ensure that everyone involved is properly credited for their work. This is where songwriting split sheets come into play.
In this guide, we’ll break down what a split sheet is, why you need one, and how to use them effectively to avoid future disputes. We’ll also explore how platforms like RouteNote help simplify the royalty splitting process for independent artists.
What is a songwriting split sheet?
First things first, what actually is a split sheet?
A songwriting split sheet is a document that details the percentage of a song each contributor is entitled to. It ensures everyone involved in the songwriting process, from lyricists to producers, is fairly credited and compensated. So, if you and your friend worked together on a track, but don’t want to have to figure out divvying out royalties yourselves after they are received by just one of you, you can use a split sheet to do the heavy lifting.
Why do you need a split sheet?
You might feel like a split sheet feels unnecessary or like overkill. If your cocreating situation is pretty casual, it might seem like splitting up royalties yourselves is no big deal.
It’s not a pleasant thought, but you never know what the future holds. Relationships change, situations develop, and you could find that disputes around royalty splits arise. While working on a song may feel casual, once it’s released and starts generating revenue, misunderstandings about who contributed what can lead to conflicts. This simple document can protect your rights and ensure you get paid fairly.
Key components of a split sheet
To ensure a split sheet is legally sound and can be called upon in future, it should include the following:
- Song title: Clearly state the name of the song that the split relates to.
- Contributors’ names: List everyone involved in writing, producing, or contributing to the song (using proper legal names).
- Date of birth: Of the collaborators, not the song! Each contributor should include their date of birth on the split sheet.
- Formal address: A physical address for each songwriter/contributor should be included
- Percentage of ownership: Assign a percentage to each contributor based on their input, e.g. Songwriter 1 gets 60%, Songwriter 2 gets 40%
- Signature and date: All parties involved must sign and date the split sheet.
- The role of each contributor: To keep a clear record, the specific role of each contributor should be listed, e.g. writing lyrics or composing the melody.
It’s important to work out the correct percentage split to include on the split sheet. Accurately dividing the song’s ownership is essential. This percentage directly impacts how much each person earns in royalties. For example, if one person wrote the lyrics and another composed the melody, both might claim 50% of the ownership.
How to determine split royalty percentages
Assigning ownership can sometimes be tricky. It’s best to have an open discussion with all contributors to agree on fair percentages based on each person’s input.
Here are some common methods:
- Equal Split: Some teams opt for an equal division of the song. If there are two contributors, they may agree on a 50/50 split, regardless of how much each person did.
- Weighted Contribution: If one person contributed significantly more, they may receive a larger share, such as 70/30 or 60/40.
It’s important to remember that the percentages agreed upon should feel fair to everyone involved, and this should be finalised before the song is released.
How to split royalties with RouteNote
If you distribute your music with RouteNote, you can split your streaming revenue between yourself and collaborators with ease.
RouteNote allows you to easily and automatically split royalties between multiple contributors. Here’s how it works:
- Add Contributors: When setting up your song for release on RouteNote, you can add other contributors to the track.
- Set Percentages: You’ll be prompted to assign ownership percentages based on your split sheet. RouteNote will then split royalties accordingly.
- Automatic Payouts: Each contributor receives their share of earnings directly from RouteNote, meaning you don’t need to manually calculate or send payments.
For independent artists, this system is incredibly helpful as it reduces the administrative burden of tracking who gets what and ensures transparency between all collaborators.