Split Sheet
Document detailing ownership percentages and songwriting credits for a musical composition.
Definition
A split sheet is a legal document that records each contributor's percentage of ownership in a song's composition. It lists all writers, producers, and other contributors along with their agreed-upon share of publishing and mechanical royalties.
Split sheets are created during or immediately after a songwriting session to prevent disputes about who contributed what. They document not just percentages, but also each contributor's PRO (performance rights organization) affiliation and contact information. While split sheets aren't filed with copyright offices, they serve as binding agreements that determine how royalties are divided when a song generates income.
Why It Matters
Split sheets prevent costly legal disputes by documenting ownership agreements when everyone's memory is fresh. Without a split sheet, a song that becomes successful can lead to years of litigation over who deserves what percentage.
For professional songwriters, split sheets are standard practice—every co-write gets documented before anyone leaves the studio. This protects all parties and ensures that when royalty checks arrive from streaming, sync licenses, or radio play, there's no confusion about how to divide the money.
Publishers and record labels require split sheets before advancing money or releasing music. A song without clear ownership documentation is a legal liability that can hold up entire album releases or prevent lucrative sync placements.
Examples in Practice
Four songwriters collaborate on a hit single. The split sheet documents that the primary writer receives 40%, the co-writer gets 30%, the producer who contributed to the melody gets 20%, and the topliner who wrote the hook receives 10%. When the song generates $100,000 in royalties, each contributor receives their documented share without dispute.
A songwriter collaborates with a producer who contributes beat programming and arrangement ideas. Without a split sheet, the producer later claims they deserve 50% because "they made the track." With a signed split sheet documenting 15% for production contribution, the dispute is resolved immediately.
An independent artist co-writes a song that gets placed in a major film. The music supervisor requests documentation proving clear chain of title before approving the sync license. The split sheet provides this proof, allowing the $50,000 sync deal to proceed quickly.