Music Business/Law Tips - "Songwriting Splits"

If 2 or more songwriters collaborate and complete a song, it’s important to sign off on a “split sheet” so that everyone knows each writers' share and resulting income so there are no disputes later. These days - especially in producer-led genres of music such as hip hop and dance - the roles of who a writer are can be difficult to determine so its key to clarify in writing if there is any participant who could make a claim. Be aware that a well-known artist may insist on a larger split or a split even if they did not contribute, since their involvement or “name attached” increases the chances of the song being successful. Under the Copyright Law, a song is deemed to be jointly-authored where there are 2 or more writers, and the splits will be equal for each writer – so if that is not the case (i.e., if each writer did not contribute the same which is often the case) - its imperative to get the actual splits agreed to in writing. If the goal is to have 1 person administer the song for all writers make sure that is clear in the paper (otherwise each writer administers their own share). Try to get the split sheet signed as soon as the song is complete and recorded as it’s hard to chase down people later or when their memories fade/change,, and not having this info handy could delay or block a release. Ben McLane Esq Benmclane.com