What are Split Sheets and Why They Are Important

Why are Split Sheets Important?

Split sheets determine each contributor’s ownership percentage for a given copyright.  Those ownership percentages determine your share of future royalties from the copyright, so it is important to have them clearly established on paper.

How do I get a Split Sheet?

There are a bunch of good templates for split sheets available online. We recommend you use ours!

When is Everyone Supposed to Sign the Split Sheet?

If there is an in-person recording session, ideally everyone will sign a split sheet for the songs created during that session before leaving the room.

If a recording comes together online, try to get a split sheet signed as quickly as possible after the song is finished.  Even if the recording is just a demo, the split sheet will serve to prevent any future dispute over ownership percentages if the demo ends up being officially released.

In a scenario where Producer A sends stems to Producer B, Producer A should also send a split sheet, and Producer B can include the signed split sheet alongside the finished beats. If one of these beats end up getting placed, this split sheet can be used as a basis for the terms of the producer agreement (at least insofar as the division of rights between the two producers is concerned).