[FAQ]

Hello,

My band here in Manila just finished recording our first EP, and we’re getting ready to upload it to our distributor. We’ve run into a question about the business side that we want to get right before we proceed.

There are four of us in the band, and we all contributed to the songwriting in different ways. For some tracks one person wrote the lyrics and another wrote the melody, while on other tracks we all jammed it out together. We know we need to agree on the songwriter splits for each song, but we’re not sure what the proper process is.

Should we be using a formal split sheet for every song? What information is essential to include on it, aside from just the percentages? We want to make sure everything is clear and officially documented before the music is on Spotify so that any future royalties are divided correctly. Any advice from experienced bands or songwriters on the best way to handle this would be amazing.

[Jeff Bullas]

Sorting this out now will save you from major headaches later.

Short Answer: You must document the ownership percentages for each song’s composition on a signed ‘split sheet’ before you distribute the audio. This text-based agreement is the source document you will use to register the tracks correctly with your distributor and PRO.

Let’s be clear: Spotify doesn’t manage your splits; it only acts on the data you provide to your partners.

The correct process is to complete and sign a split sheet for every single piece of audio content you create, ideally on the day it is written. This document is a binding agreement that must contain several key pieces of text data for each songwriter: their full legal name, their ownership percentage, their PRO affiliation, and their IPI number. Once signed, this document becomes the official record you and your co-writers will use to register the song’s data with your respective publishers, PROs, and distributor. Getting this text-based information right before the audio is uploaded ensures that all collecting societies and, ultimately, Spotify, have the correct data to pay everyone accurately from day one.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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