How to split royalties between songwriters

How royalty splits work

When a song earns money — streaming, radio play, sync licensing, physical sales — the income is divided according to the ownership percentages documented in the split sheet. This applies to all income streams: mechanical royalties, performance royalties, and sync fees.

Step 1: Agree on ownership

Use the music split calculator to determine fair ownership percentages. Consider each person’s contribution to lyrics, melody, production, and arrangement.

Step 2: Document it

Create a split sheet or co-writer agreement that records the percentages. Every collaborator signs. This document is what distributors, publishers, and PROs reference when splitting payments.

Step 3: Register with your PRO

Each writer registers the song with their PRO using the agreed percentages. Matching registrations prevent royalty conflicts and payment delays.

What about the producer?

If the producer is a co-owner, their share comes from the same 100%. If they’re work-for-hire, they don’t receive royalties — they’re paid a flat fee. Use the producer split calculator to estimate the producer’s fair share. For more detail, read what percentage producers typically get.

For the foundational guide on deciding percentages, see how to split song ownership. Once the split is agreed, follow how to make a split sheet to document it properly.