Royalty Split Calculator

There is no universal formula. Common approaches include an equal split among everyone in the room, contribution-based percentages reflecting who wrote what, or splits agreed before the session starts. Whatever you choose, put it in writing on the day the song is written — disputes usually come from waiting until a song earns money to decide who owns what.

Only if they contributed to the composition — the melody, lyrics, chords, or arrangement. A producer who shaped the actual song is commonly included in the writing split, and leaving them out is a frequent source of disputes. Producers who only handled the recording side are typically compensated through points on the master or a fee instead of a share of publishing.

Every recorded song has two copyrights. The composition — melody, lyrics, arrangement — belongs to the songwriters and publishers and earns publishing royalties. The master recording — the actual audio — belongs to the artist or label and earns master royalties. A collaborator can have a share of one, the other, or both, so agree on each split separately and document them.

It varies and is negotiated case by case. If the featured artist wrote part of the song, they get a share of the composition like any co-writer. Their share of master income depends on the deal — anything from a flat fee to a percentage of the recording. There is no statutory rate here, so put whatever you agree on in writing before release.