BEATS WITH KEVA split sheet is one page, signed by everyone who worked on a song, that says who owns what share of it. Fill one out every session, before anybody releases anything. It’s the difference between a clean payout and an argument two years later when the song actually does something.
You can print one free from Money Splits, the royalty tool on this site. Set up who’s on the song, give each person their share, and it prints a signable sheet straight from your browser.
What does a split sheet cover?
Every song has two copyrights. The master is the recording, the actual audio file that plays when someone hits play. The publishing is the composition underneath it: the melody, the chords, the lyrics, the beat you wrote.
A split sheet is mainly about the publishing. If you made the music, you’re a songwriter, and you own part of the publishing whether or not you own the recording. That’s the share producers leave on the table most.
The master works differently. As an indie, the artist usually owns the recording, and you only have a claim on it if you negotiated producer points. The Money Splits sheet prints both columns, master and publishing, so your points get written down in the same place.
What goes on a split sheet?
For every writer on the song:
- Legal name and contact info
- Ownership percentage
- PRO (BMI, ASCAP or SESAC) and publisher, if they have one
- Signature and the date they signed
Then the song itself: the title, and any samples it uses.
The percentages have to add up to exactly 100%. ASCAP’s advice is to agree on them when the song is made, ideally in writing, and to swap PRO and publisher details with your co-writers at the same time.
How do producers usually split a song?
There’s no fixed formula. In ASCAP’s words, “How you divide up the pie is totally up to you.”
These are the common starting points built into Money Splits:
- Producer and 1 artist: publishing 50/50. The artist owns 100% of the master.
- Producer and 2 artists: publishing 34% to you, 33% to each artist. The artists split the master 50/50.
- 2 producers and 1 artist: 25% of the publishing to each producer, 50% to the artist. The artist owns the master.
- Producer, artist and a topline writer: publishing 34/33/33. The artist owns the master.
Treat those as a first draft. Change the numbers to match who actually did what, then everyone signs.
Producer points sit on the master side. A point is 1% of the master royalties, and producers usually get 3 to 5 on a release. Three points on a song that earns $10,000 in master money is $300. Points are separate from your publishing, and they only count if they’re written down before release.
Does a beat lease change the split?
A lease lets an artist use your beat while you keep selling it to others. An exclusive transfers the recording rights to that one artist, so it should cost a lot more.
Neither one automatically hands over your publishing. If you wrote the music, you can keep your songwriter share even on a lease. The split sheet is where that share gets written down.
What happens if you skip it?
When writers register the same song with splits that don’t match, the registrations conflict. Songtrust says that usually means registration delays and halted payments for every writer on the song, and it can hold up money already earned as well as money still coming.
ASCAP’s warning is about the people: split disputes can end creative relationships, and royalties can end up with the wrong person.
When should you fill it out?
In the session, before the beat leaves your hard drive. Then each writer registers the song with their PRO using the same numbers. ASCAP recommends doing that before the song is uploaded anywhere.
Money Splits has the rest of the list too: 8 steps covering your PRO, the MLC, SoundExchange, ISRCs and samples. It saves your progress in your browser.
Is a split sheet a contract?
Songtrust says a split agreement needs every contributor’s signature, with the date, to be legally binding. A split sheet still doesn’t replace a full contract, and nothing here is legal advice. For an actual deal, talk to a music attorney.
The short version
- A split sheet is one signed page that says who owns what share of a song.
- For every writer: legal name, contact info, percentage, PRO, publisher, signature and date. Add the title and any samples.
- The shares add up to exactly 100%.
- Producer points are on the master side. Get them in writing before release.
- Fill it out in the session. Money Splits prints one free.