Split sheet for bands

The equal split approach

Many bands default to equal splits: every member gets the same percentage regardless of who wrote what. This avoids arguments and keeps things simple. If your band has 4 members, each gets 25%. This is the approach U2 and Coldplay use.

The contribution-based approach

Other bands split by contribution: the person who wrote the lyrics gets a larger share, the person who wrote the melody gets theirs, and so on. This is more accurate but requires a conversation for every song. Use the music split calculator to weight contributions.

Band members who don’t write

A drummer or bassist who doesn’t contribute to the composition doesn’t typically receive a songwriting share. They may earn from master recording royalties or performance fees instead. Be clear about this distinction.

When a band works with outside producers

If an outside producer shapes the arrangement or contributes to the composition, they need to be on the split sheet too. Use the producer split calculator to estimate their share. If the producer is hired for a flat fee with no ownership, use a work-for-hire agreement instead.

One split sheet per song

Bands should create a split sheet for every original song, not just one for the entire album. Different songs may have different writers and different splits. Use the split sheet generator to create one for each track. See examples of completed split sheets to understand what the final document looks like.

Create your band split sheet

Use the split sheet generator to add all band members, assign percentages, and download a completed PDF. For help deciding percentages, read how to split song ownership. For a blank form to fill in by hand, download the template.