Help · Splits and money
Splits: propose, approve and sign
Set who wrote what on each song, in percent. Every writer approves from their own login or signs a split sheet from a link, no account needed. What happens when a split changes after signing.
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A split says who wrote a song and what share of the songwriting money each writer gets. It covers the song itself (the words and music), not the recording. Every writer on it has to agree before it counts. Splits go in versions: a change makes a new version, and the old one stays in force until everyone agrees to the new one.
Propose a split
- Open the song: from Money Map, a release's track list, or the wizard's Credits step. Press Change split (or Add writers).
Under Propose a new version, fill in one row per writer:
- Writer: start typing and pick them from your people. A new name makes a new person.
- Role: Music & words, Music, Words, or Arranger.
- Share %: the Total turns green at exactly 100.
- Publisher for this share: the company that publishes that writer's share, or No publisher.
- Optional: Why these numbers, like “Ana wrote the lyrics, so 40; the rest equal”. Everyone on the split sees it.
- Press Send for approval.
Each person can be on a split once: if someone wrote both music and words, give them one row with their whole share. If you're on the split yourself, proposing it counts as your approval.
Approve or reject
Each writer with a login sees splits waiting for you on My page, with every writer's share and who has answered.
- Approve or Reject each one. Approve all appears when more than one is waiting; each split is still recorded on its own.
- One rejection marks the split disputed. The proposer can then propose a new version.
- When every writer has approved, that version becomes the approved split, and the one before it is replaced.
Writers without a login can tell a manager instead. On that person's page, a manager presses Record yes or Record no and says how they were told, like “by text, Oct 29”. A signed split sheet (below) is stronger.
Each answer is kept with its time and how it was given.
Sign a split sheet
A split sheet is the one-page agreement from the guide, as a PDF: each writer's legal name, role, PRO (BMI, ASCAP and so on), IPI number, publisher and share, plus every recording of the song with its ISRC. Writers sign it from a private link, on any phone, with no login.
- On the split page, press Split sheet (PDF and e-signature) →.
- Check Missing on the sheet: anyone without a legal name, PRO or IPI gets a dash on the PDF. Fill those in on their person page first.
- Press Send for signature. Each writer gets their own link, by email if we have their address. You can also copy each link and send it yourself.
What the writer sees
The writer checks the shares, types their full legal name exactly as it's on the sheet (capitals and accents don't matter), ticks I agree, and presses Sign. We record the time, their IP address and their device with the signature.
If something's wrong, Something's wrong? Ask for a change instead sends a note back. That pauses signing for everyone and marks the split disputed until a new version goes out.
Links last 14 days. New link makes a fresh one and stops the old one working.
When the last writer signs, the split is approved, and the signed PDF gets a signature certificate page: everyone's typed name, the times, and the sheet's fingerprint.
When a split changes
The sheet carries a fingerprint (a SHA-256 checksum: a code that changes if one character of the sheet does). If anything on it changes after it's sent, that copy is void and everyone signs a fresh one. Each copy says why it was voided:
- a newer version of the split replaced it
- the song's title or other titles changed
- a recording or ISRC was added or changed
- someone was added or removed
- a writer's legal name, IPI or PRO changed
Until the new version is fully approved, the old approved split stays in force. Old copies stay on record, signatures and all.
Money already paid out isn't recalculated: statements are never edited after they come in. A new split changes what the Money Map shows each writer from then on.
Publishing deals
If a writer's share is published by a company, owners and label managers can draft the deal under Publishing: the publisher, the fee, the start date and the first term. It's signed the same way as a split sheet. The agreement is marked “Draft: needs lawyer review” until a lawyer has read it.
Questions
What happens if we change a split after signing?
Propose a new version. The signed copy is voided, everyone gets a fresh sheet to sign, and the old split stays in force until every writer approves the new one. Nothing already paid is recalculated.
Do writers need an account to sign?
No. Each writer gets a private link that works on any phone or computer for 14 days. They only need to type their legal name.
Is an e-signature legally binding?
In the US, an electronic signature counts like a written one under federal law (the ESIGN Act), as long as the person agreed to sign electronically. That's what the tick box on the signing page records. For a big deal, ask a music lawyer.
Does this split cover the recording too?
No. A split here is the songwriting split: who wrote the song. Who owns the recording is a separate agreement. See Every song is two copyrights.
Can a session player be on a split?
Only if they wrote part of the song. Playing on it doesn't make someone a writer; credit them as a performer on the release instead.
About the picturesThey show Copper Kettle, the made-up band from our guide. Every name, code and dollar in them is invented. Numbered red dots on a picture match the numbered steps.