To make a split sheet, write down the song title and date, list everyone who worked on the song with their legal name, role, performing rights organisation (PRO) and IPI number, give each person a percentage share that adds up to 100%, and get everyone to sign it. The quickest way is our free split sheet maker: fill it in, then download a PDF or send it to everyone to sign online from a link. It is free and needs no account.
Below is what goes on a split sheet, how to work out the percentages, and what to do once it is signed. One thing first: Tonivo is ours. The maker is free and you do not need a Tonivo account to use it.
What a split sheet is
A split sheet is a one-page agreement that records who wrote a song and what percentage of it each person owns. Everyone who worked on the song signs it. It exists so that in a year or two, when the song is earning and nobody remembers the session clearly, there is a record everyone agreed to while it was fresh.
PROs, publishers and distributors all need to know who wrote what before they can pay anyone. If the writers have not agreed, the money can sit unpaid while you argue. A signed split sheet settles it before it starts.
What to put on a split sheet
- The song: title, date, and the artist or project releasing it.
- Every contributor: legal name (not just an artist name), role (writer, producer, topliner, lyricist), email and phone.
- PRO details: each person's performing rights organisation (for example PRS, ASCAP, BMI, SOCAN or APRA) and their IPI number if they have one.
- Publisher: the publisher or admin company for each writer, if they have one.
- Song share: each person's percentage of the composition. These must add up to 100%.
- Master share (optional): each person's percentage of the recording, if you want to agree that too.
- Signatures and dates from everyone listed.
If anything is missing on the day, such as an IPI number, fill in what you have and add the rest later. A split sheet with a gap is far better than no split sheet.
How to make a split sheet, step by step
- Do it on the day. The best time is at the end of the session, while everyone is still in the room or on the call. Agreeing splits gets harder every week the song sits.
- Add the song. Title, date, and who is releasing it. If the title is not final, use the working title and note it.
- Add everyone who worked on it. Include anyone who wrote melody, lyrics or music, and the producer if they made the beat. People who only mixed or engineered usually do not get a share of the song, unless you agree otherwise.
- Agree the song shares. Talk it through, then put the numbers in. Check they add up to exactly 100%.
- Add master shares if you want them. Many split sheets only cover the song. If you split the recording too, agree it now.
- Sign it. Print the PDF and sign on paper, or send it to everyone to sign online.
In our split sheet maker, choose "Send it to everyone to sign", add each person's email, and optionally what they are delivering and a deadline. Everyone gets a link to read the sheet and sign by typing their name, with no account needed. When the last person signs, you all get the signed PDF by email.
How to work out the percentages
There is no fixed rule, but two approaches cover most songs:
- Even split. Everyone in the room gets an equal share. For two or three people writing together this is usually the fairest and simplest answer, and it avoids arguing over who wrote which line.
- Split by contribution. A common version is 50% for the music and 50% for the topline and lyrics, then each half is shared between whoever wrote it. So a producer who made the beat alone and two writers who wrote the topline together would be 50%, 25% and 25%.
Whatever you choose, the number everyone agrees to and signs is the right number. There is more on this in how to split royalties on a song.
Song share vs master share
A song earns money in two separate ways, and a split sheet can cover either or both.
- The song share (also called publishing or the composition) covers the melody, lyrics and music. It earns performance and mechanical royalties, which reach writers through their PRO and publisher.
- The master share covers the recording itself. It earns money from streams and sales through the distributor, and usually belongs to whoever paid for or made the recording.
You can split these differently. A producer might take 50% of the song and nothing of the master, or a share of both. Just make sure the sheet says which is which.
After it is signed
- Everyone keeps a copy. If you signed online, everyone already has the PDF in their email.
- Each writer registers the song with their PRO, or their publisher or admin company does, using the same percentages. Matching numbers stop the registration getting stuck.
- Set up master splits with your distributor if it can pay collaborators directly, using the master shares you agreed.
- Keep it with the song files so you can find it when the song is pitched, synced or released.
If you are selling or leasing a beat rather than writing a song together, you need a licence instead of a split sheet. Our free beat licence maker covers that, and beat lease vs exclusive rights explains the difference.
Common questions
Is there a free split sheet template?
Yes. Our split sheet maker is free, needs no account and gives you a signable PDF. You can also send it to everyone to sign online from a link.
Is a split sheet legally binding?
A signed split sheet is written evidence of what everyone agreed, and PROs and publishers use it to register a song. It is not a substitute for legal advice, so for bigger deals have a music lawyer look over your agreement.
Does the producer go on the split sheet?
Usually, yes. If the producer made the beat, the music is part of how the song was written, so they normally get a share of the song. Producers who were paid a flat fee for a beat lease or exclusive often still keep a songwriting share, which the licence should state.
What if someone will not sign?
Find out what they disagree with and talk it through before the song comes out. If you cannot agree, do not release it until you do, because a dispute after release can freeze the money for everyone.
Can you change a split sheet after it is signed?
Yes, if everyone agrees. Make a new split sheet with the new numbers and have everyone sign it again, then update the registrations with your PROs.
Do I need a split sheet if we are just friends?
Yes. Friends fall out over money more than strangers do, because nobody wanted to bring it up. A two-minute split sheet keeps the friendship and the song safe.
Find people to write with
If you need someone to finish a song with, Tonivo is a free network where producers, artists, songwriters and engineers find each other. Browse musicians by role and genre, hear their music, and message anyone for free. When the song is done, the split sheet maker is there for the paperwork.