The Ultimate Split Sheet

Download our free Ultimate Songwriter Split Sheet template, designed for professional musicians to secure ownership rights for songs intended for commercial distribution.

What Information Should a Split Sheet Include?

A split sheet should always include each songwriter’s legal name, contact information, ownership percentage, affiliations, and all available song metadata (e.g. composition title, the use of a copyrighted sample, etc.). To be legally binding, song split agreements must have signatures (with execution dates) from all parties that contributed to the work. Songtrust's Ultimate Songwriter Split Sheet is an editable template that meets all the important requirements to secure and protect song ownership rights for all songwriters, producers, recording artists, and musicians who work collaboratively on songs that are intended for commercial releases.

How Do I Collect My Publishing Royalties?

To collect publishing royalties, you must register with a PRO or CMO. However, some PROs do not collect mechanical royalties. To collect every type of publishing royalty, you should also register with a music publisher or publishing administrator. Since publishers typically request ownership shares of songs and a percentage of royalties for their services, independent artists often choose publishing administration (e.g. Songtrust) to collect earned publishing royalties worldwide without losing copyrights.

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What Happens If My Registered Split Information Is Incorrect?

If a songwriter registers a song with invalid or incomplete split information, it can cause a conflict with the registrations that have been submitted by the other collaborator(s) for royalty collection. This commonly results in song registration delays and halts of royalty payments to all collaborators, which could also impact past, present, and future collections of both new and unallocated royalties.

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Testimonial_Olivia_Reid

“Songtrust has become an extension of my team, by collecting those royalties that would’ve otherwise never found their way to me. It’s also allowed me to continue to do international work - writing with artists all over the world - and know that Songtrust will help me chase the funds that come from that work.”

Olivia Reid

Performing Artist, Songwriter, Producer, Sound Engineer, and Podcast Host of “Song Start by Spotify"

Download The Ultimate Songwriter Split Sheet