You just finished a track with your co-writer or producer. You shook hands on the splits, maybe texted each other a percentage. Now what?
You fill out a split sheet — a document that formalizes exactly who owns what before the song goes anywhere. Here's exactly how to do it, field by field.
What a Split Sheet Covers
A proper split sheet has two sections: publishing (composition) splits and master recording splits. These are legally distinct ownership interests, and conflating them is one of the most common mistakes indie artists make.
- Publishing / Composition: Who wrote the lyrics and melody. This governs sync licensing, performance royalties through ASCAP/BMI/SESAC, and mechanical royalties from streaming and downloads.
- Master Recording: Who owns the actual recorded version. This governs master sync licenses, SoundExchange digital performance royalties, and master licensing deals.
Most splits sheets have separate percentage columns for each. Make sure yours does.
Step 1: Song Information
Fill in the basics at the top of the document:
- Song Title: Use the working title if the final name isn't locked. You can add a note like "(working title)."
- ISRC: International Standard Recording Code — the unique ID for this specific recording. You get one when you distribute the song. Leave blank if pre-distribution.
- ISWC: International Standard Musical Work Code — the unique ID for the composition itself. Your PRO assigns this. Leave blank until registered.
- Date of Creation: The date the song was finished, or the session date.
- Genre: Optional but useful for PRO registration context.
Step 2: List Every Party
Add a row for each person involved — every songwriter, producer, and featured artist who has an ownership stake. For each party, you'll need:
- Full Legal Name: No stage names — use the name on their government ID, which is what PROs and music lawyers need.
- Stage Name / Artist Name: For reference, especially if they go by something else professionally.
- Role: Songwriter, Producer, Co-writer, Topliner, etc.
- PRO Affiliation: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (US); SOCAN (Canada); PRS (UK); APRA (Australia); or other. This tells collecting societies where to send royalties.
- IPI/CAE Number: Your unique identifier with your PRO. Every registered member has one. If someone hasn't registered with a PRO yet, note that — they'll need to before royalties can be paid.
- Email / Contact: For communication and document verification.
Step 3: Enter the Percentages
This is the core of the document. For each party, enter:
- Publishing / Composition %: Their share of the songwriting ownership.
- Master Recording %: Their share of the master recording.
The most important rule: all percentages in each column must add up to exactly 100%. If your publishing splits add up to 95% or 105%, the split sheet is invalid and will be rejected by PROs and music lawyers.
Common split structures:
- Songwriter + Producer: Often 50/50 or 70/30 on publishing depending on who wrote the topline. Master is frequently 50/50.
- Multiple co-writers: Equal split is common (e.g. 33.33/33.33/33.33 for three writers — note: round carefully to reach exactly 100%).
- Beatmaker who doesn't write lyrics: May receive 0% publishing but 50% master, depending on agreement.
Whatever you agree on, write it down now. Verbal agreements don't hold up when there's real money involved.
Step 4: Add Signature Blocks
Every party on the split sheet needs to sign and date it. The signature is what makes it legally binding — an unsigned split sheet is just a piece of paper with numbers on it.
Best practices for signatures:
- Get everyone to sign before the song is released, uploaded to a distributor, or pitched to a sync library
- Collect digital signatures if collaborators are remote (email a PDF, get it back signed)
- Each party should keep a copy
- If you make any changes after the fact, everyone needs to sign the revised version
Step 5: Fill in the Optional Fields (But Don't Skip Them)
A few fields that are technically optional but practically important:
- Publisher Name: If a party is signed to or self-administering a publishing company, include it. Self-published artists often use their own publishing entity (e.g. "[Name] Music Publishing"). This name is what registers with PROs.
- Publisher IPI: Separate from the writer's IPI — the publishing entity has its own identifier.
- Notes / Special Terms: Any non-standard arrangements, like "producer receives 5% master only on streams above 1M," should be captured here with explicit language. For complex deals, have an entertainment lawyer review before signing.
When to Fill Out the Split Sheet
Before the session ends. This is the ideal time — everyone's in the room (or on the call), the collaboration is fresh, and there's no ambiguity about what was created. The longer you wait, the more room there is for disagreement about "who wrote what."
At minimum, sign the split sheet before the song is:
- Uploaded to a distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, etc.)
- Registered with a PRO
- Submitted to a sync library or licensing portal
- Released publicly
Generate Your Split Sheet in 2 Minutes
Instead of fighting with a generic Google Docs template that's missing half the fields, use musicsplitsheets.com — fill out a form with your song details and splits, pay $3, and download a custom PDF immediately. It covers all the fields above (including separate publishing and master columns, PRO fields, IPI numbers, ISRC, ISWC, and 6 signature blocks), works with all major PROs, and is ready to sign the moment it downloads.
If you also need a Letter of Direction for SoundExchange royalty splitting, the Split Sheet + LOD bundle is $5 — both documents generated with your song's details.