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Songwriter Split Sheet

For co-writers documenting each person's ownership share of a song they wrote together.

Drafted by a Harvard Law entertainment attorney.

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Feature	Custom Contract	Editable Template
Best for	Most users	Editing everything yourself
How it works	Answer guided questions	Fill highlighted fields yourself
Word and PDF	Yes	Yes
E-signature	Yes	No
Time required	About 2 to 5 minutes	Depends on your edits
Price	$50	$50

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Is this the right contract for your song?

This contract is built for songs written by more than one person. It fits co-writers, producers with writing credits, and artists who want to record each writer's ownership percentage, along with publisher and PRO details, at the time the song is written so registration and royalties stay clear later.

Good fit for

Co-writers splitting credit on a song
Producers who contributed to the writing
Artists writing with collaborators
Writers registering songs with a PRO
Anyone setting ownership shares at the time of writing

You may also need

Music Publishing Agreement - when a publisher manages the songs
Music Producer Agreement - when a producer makes the recording
Featured Artist Agreement - when a featured artist also helped write
Beat License Agreement - when the beat counts toward the writing
Non-Disclosure Agreement - before sharing unreleased material

What's Inside This Contract

Song information

Records the song title, date written, and whether any samples are used.

Songwriter ownership splits

Lists each writer, publisher, PRO details, and ownership percentage.

Terms and agreement

Covers ownership, registration, administration, derivative works, sync approvals, and samples.

Disputes and general provisions

Covers standard terms such as notices, how disputes are handled, and signatures.

Not sure what a section means? Every contract you create includes a built-in "Explain Sections" view with a plain-English note for each part of the document.

Before you start

It helps to have these details on hand before you create your contract:

Song title and date written
All writers' names
Each writer's ownership percentage
Publisher information for each writer
PRO affiliation and IPI/CAE numbers
Whether any samples or interpolations are used

Points Worth Negotiating

Each writer's ownership percentage
How contributions like lyrics, melody, and production are counted
Whether a producer receives a writing share
How the song is registered with PROs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a songwriter split sheet?

It is a written record of who wrote a song and what percentage each writer owns, along with publisher and PRO information.

Who should sign it?

Every writer who contributed to the song signs. Each signature confirms that writer's ownership share and the details listed.

Why do I need a split sheet?

It prevents disputes by recording each writer's share at the time of writing, which makes registration and royalty collection clearer later.

What is a PRO?

A performing rights organization collects certain royalties when songs are performed or streamed and pays writers and publishers. Examples include ASCAP and BMI.

Do producers go on the split sheet?

Yes, when a producer contributes to the composition. They receive a writing share and appear on the split sheet, as the writers agree.

How is this different from a publishing agreement?

A split sheet records who wrote a song and each writer's share. A Music Publishing Agreement is the deal with a publisher to manage and earn from those songs.

Should I choose the custom contract or the editable template?

Choose the custom contract to answer a few questions and have it filled in for you. Choose the editable template if you prefer a blank version with labeled fields to complete yourself.

What are common warning signs in a songwriter split sheet?

These are common issues to watch for in any songwriter split sheet:

Percentages that do not add up to one hundred
Missing writer or publisher details
No signatures from all writers
Unclear treatment of a producer's contribution
No record of PRO affiliation

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