Producer Credits, Split Sheets and Registering Your Song
Once a song is finished, the music becomes a small business. Who wrote it, who owns which part, and who gets paid when it is streamed or played all need to be written down. Doing this before release is easy. Doing it after a song gets traction is much harder.
Two copyrights in every song
A released song usually contains two separate rights:
- The composition (also called the musical work): the melody, lyrics and underlying music. The writers own this. When you write lyrics and a topline over a producer's beat, you and the producer are typically both writers.
- The sound recording (also called the master): the specific recorded audio. This is usually owned by whoever paid for or created the recording, often the artist or their label.
Royalties flow separately for each. Streaming services, radio and live venues pay into different systems depending on which right is being used, which is why getting registrations right matters.
What a split sheet is
A split sheet is a short document, signed by everyone who wrote the song, stating each person's percentage of the composition. It should list:
- The song title and date
- Every writer's legal name, artist name and contact details
- Each writer's percentage share (totalling 100%)
- Each writer's collecting society (PRO) and publisher, if they have one
- Signatures
When you lease a beat, the license often states the producer's share already. If it does, your split sheet should match it. If it does not, agree on it in writing before release.
Common split arrangements
There is no universal standard. A frequent starting point is to split the composition evenly between the music side and the lyric/topline side, then divide each half among the people who contributed to it. Some leases set a fixed producer percentage instead. What matters is that the number is agreed and written down, not which number it is.
Writing the credit
Most licenses require the producer credit on the release. The usual format is in the track title or contributor metadata, for example: Song Name (Prod. by N7SOUNDS). Your distributor will also have a field for producers and writers. Fill those in accurately: platforms increasingly display credits, and they are how people find collaborators.
Registrations to do before release
1. Collecting society (PRO)
Performance rights organisations collect royalties when compositions are performed publicly, including on streaming and radio. Examples include ASCAP and BMI in the United States, PRS for Music in the United Kingdom and SOCAN in Canada. Each writer registers their share with their own society. Your songwriter registration should list the producer as a co-writer with the agreed percentage.
2. ISRC for the recording
An ISRC is a unique code that identifies a specific sound recording. Most digital distributors assign one automatically when you upload. Keep a note of it; you will need it for registrations and royalty statements.
3. Neighbouring rights
In many countries, broadcasting and public playing of the recording itself generates separate royalties for the master owner and performers. Registering with the relevant organisation in your country lets you collect them.
Mistakes that cause disputes
- Releasing first and "sorting out splits later"
- Splits on the PRO registration that do not match the beat license
- Missing the producer credit the license required
- Using a beat after the lease term or cap has expired
- Adding a second producer or sample without telling the other writers
Licensing a beat from N7SOUNDS? Email n7sounds@gmail.com with your song title and release date before you distribute, and we will confirm the credit wording and writer details for your registrations.