Publishing Split
The agreed-upon percentage division of songwriting copyright ownership and royalties among all contributors to a musical composition.
Definition
A publishing split defines how songwriting credits and the resulting royalties are divided among everyone who contributed to creating a song. This includes lyricists, composers, producers who contribute melodic or harmonic elements, and sometimes even artists who significantly shape the final composition. Splits are typically expressed as percentages that must total 100%.
Publishing splits are separate from master recording ownership. Even if you don't own the recording, your publishing share entitles you to royalties when the song is performed, broadcast, streamed, covered, or synchronized with visual media. Splits should be determined and documented before or immediately after the writing session, not months later when disagreements arise.
Why It Matters
Publishing split disputes are among the most common and damaging conflicts in music. When splits aren't clearly established upfront, successful songs create financial windfalls that make contributors revise their memories of who contributed what. These disputes can delay releases, prevent songs from being licensed, and destroy creative relationships.
Establishing clear splits also affects your ability to monetize music. Many sync licensing opportunities, streaming services, and performance rights organizations require confirmed split information before paying royalties. Incomplete or disputed splits mean delayed or withheld payments, with money sitting in limbo while contributors argue about percentages.
Examples in Practice
A typical co-write between two songwriters results in a 50/50 split. If one person wrote all lyrics while the other composed the melody and chords, they might agree to equal shares, or adjust based on their perceived contributions. The key is agreement before leaving the studio.
Modern pop productions often involve 5-10 writers per song. A hit might show splits like: Main artist 30%, featured artist 15%, two co-writers 15% each, producer 20%, topliner 5%. These complex splits are negotiated based on each contributor's role, bargaining power, and industry standards.
When a producer creates a beat and a rapper writes and performs over it, typical splits might be 50/50 (beat creation equals lyric creation) or 75/25 favoring the rapper (arguing lyrics are more significant). There's no universal standard—it's negotiated based on genre norms and the specific contributions.