Split sheets: sort it before you release
October 12, 2026 · 4 min read
If more than one person wrote a song, settle who owns what before it comes out, while everyone’s still friends.
A split sheet is a one-page agreement that lists every writer on a song and their percentage of the composition. Your P.R.O. and publishing administrator need these numbers to pay anyone. Without them, the money waits, or goes to whoever registered first.
Who goes on it
- Everyone who wrote lyrics or melody. Including the person who came up with the hook in the session.
- The producer, for the music. On a leased beat, your licence already states the producer’s share; copy it onto the sheet.
- Not the engineer, the studio or the label, unless they actually wrote part of the song.
Fill one in
Add each writer, check the total comes to 100%, then print it and have everyone sign.
WriterRoleP.R.O.%
Nobody’s percentage is “wrong” as long as everyone agrees and signs. Even splits are common; so is giving more to whoever wrote the most. The only real mistake is not writing it down.