Music split agreement example

Example 1: Two songwriters, equal split

The simplest scenario. Two songwriters wrote a song together and contributed equally to the lyrics and melody.

This is the most common arrangement. Create this exact document with the split sheet generator in under two minutes.

Example 2: Three writers, unequal split

Three contributors with different levels of involvement. The primary songwriter wrote the lyrics and chorus. A second writer contributed to the verse melody. A producer contributed the chord progression and arrangement.

When contributions are unequal, the split should reflect that. Use the music split calculator to weight contributions by category and get a fair percentage for each person.

Example 3: Producer work-for-hire

An artist hires a producer to create a beat for a flat fee. The producer receives no ownership. This is not a split sheet scenario — it’s a work-for-hire arrangement.

No split sheet needed. Use a work-for-hire agreement to document the payment and ownership transfer.

Example 4: Co-writer agreement with terms

Two songwriters who want more protection than a simple split sheet.

Generate this with the co-writer agreement generator, which includes standard terms and lets you add custom clauses.

Which document do you need?

Split sheet — for simple collaborations (names, roles, percentages). Create one here. Co-writer agreement — for detailed terms around licensing and publishing. Generate one here. Work-for-hire agreement — when one party is paid a fee and gives up all ownership. Create one here.

For a blank form to fill in by hand, download a split sheet template PDF. To learn how to decide on percentages before creating any document, read how to split song ownership.