Understanding Your Music Split Sheets

A clear guide to ensure every creator is credited and paid correctly. This is your key to protecting your work and preventing future misunderstandings.

What is it? This document deals with the song itself—the intellectual property. Think of it as the song on paper: the lyrics, melody, and musical structure. The money earned from this is called publishing revenue.

Who signs this?

  • Lyricists: The person/people who wrote the words.
  • Composers/Songwriters: The person/people who created the melody and musical arrangement.
  • Producers: If they contributed to the song's composition (e.g., wrote the chord progression or a key melody), they are considered a songwriter.

How to Fill It Out:

ColumnWhat It MeansExample
Full Legal NameYour government name, not your stage name. This is essential for legal and financial registration.Slinger's legal name is Vuyolwethu Qete.
RoleYour specific contribution to the song's creation.Lyrics, Music, Melody, Chord Progression.
PROYour Performing Rights Organization. This is the society that collects royalties for you.In South Africa, this is typically SAMRO.
PublisherThe entity that manages your compositions. If you don't have one, you are "Self-Published".BANG Entertainment Publishing or "Self-Published".
% ShareThe percentage of the songwriting you own. This MUST add up to 100%.This is agreed upon by all writers. A 50/50 split is common.

Example Scenario:

Slinger writes a song called "Pholas". He wrote all the lyrics, but a producer named Headmaster created the entire beat and melody. They agree to an equal split.

Full Legal NameRolePROPublisher% Share
Vuyolwethu QeteLyricsSAMROBANG Entertainment Publishing50%
Aphiwe QeteMusicSAMROSelf-Published50%
TOTAL:100%

What is it? This document deals with the specific sound recording of the song—the actual audio file that people listen to. The money earned from this is called master revenue (e.g., from streaming on Spotify or Apple Music).

Who signs this?

  • The Artist: The main performer(s).
  • The Record Label: Often, the label will own the master if they paid for its creation.
  • The Producer: A producer might get a percentage of the master ownership.
  • Financiers: Anyone who invested money in the recording in exchange for ownership.

How to Fill It Out:

ColumnWhat It MeansExample
Full Legal NameYour government name.Vuyolwethu Qete
RoleYour role in the creation of the recording.Performer, Producer, Label, Executive Producer.
ContributionA brief description of what you provided."Performed all lead vocals", "Financed studio & marketing costs", "Produced, mixed, and engineered the track".
% ShareThe percentage of the master recording you own. This MUST add up to 100%.This is a separate negotiation from the songwriting splits.

Example Scenario:

For the same song, "Pholas", BANG Entertainment acted as the record label. They paid for the studio time for Slinger to record and paid Headmaster for his production services in exchange for a share of the master.

Full Legal NameRoleContribution% Share
Vuyolwethu QeteArtist / PerformerPerformed all lead and backing vocals.50%
BANG Entertainment (Pty) LtdLabel / Exec. ProducerFinanced all recording & marketing costs.50%
TOTAL:100%

In this case, Headmaster was paid a flat fee for his work, so he is not a part-owner of the master. If his deal was different (e.g., a smaller fee for a percentage), he would also be listed here.