It’s the first of the month, and money is on everyone’s mind! As a creator in the realm of music, split sheets are going to be your best friend.
If you’d like to make a career of producing and recording music, you need to know the basics of how artists, songwriters, and producers get paid for their contribution.
The Basics
To get paid for the music, you have to register your songs with a PRO. PRO’s are Performing Rights Organizations, like BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC.
Registering your song with your chosen PRO makes it easier for people who may want to sync or license your music to know who is entitled to a payout and who isn’t.
Let’s Get to the Splits
A Split sheet is a document that defines the contribution between two or more creators on a song, and the breakdown of the percentage contributed, aka the splits. Both producers and songwriters are listed, and each party has to agree on how the percentages are defined. The composition of most songs is usually defined by the music(production) and the lyrics(words), with each element accounting for 50% of the overall composition.
If we reference US Copy Right Law, any content created without a split sheet will be equally divided by the number of contributors involved.
Key Information
Here are some key bits of information your split sheet should list.
- Song title
- Legal name of each contributor
- Role of each contributor (Producer vs Lyricist)
- Percentage owned by each contributor
- Contact mailing address or email address
- Each party’s signature
Once a record has been laid, all the creators involved should discuss splits and list the percentages on the sheet. Everyone should receive a copy, that way when the song is registered, everyone will get PAID.
Now that you know what’s up, click here to download a free copy of your very own split sheet!
Head over to the services page of BayEight.com to book your next session, and be sure to have your split sheets on hand at your next session.