What Co-Writers Need to Know About Songwriting Splits

Making sure that your music is properly registered is a crucial part of earning performance royalties. When embarking on the journey of making music with a collaborator, you and your co-writer(s) need to agree on the percentages (aka “splits”) of the royalties that each of you will earn. How you divide up the pie is totally up to you. But there are a few key steps that you and your collaborators should take if you want to be compensated correctly when your music is publicly performed:

The Top Three Steps All Songwriters Need to Take When Co-Writing

  1. At the point of creation, amicably agree on splits - ideally in writing - that add up to exactly 100% (View a sample of songwriter Desmond Child's "split sheet" here).
  2. Share correct publishing and performing rights organization (PRO) info with each other.
  3. Accurately register all of your works in detail with your PRO, ideally before they are uploaded online anywhere. ASCAP members can register music from their Member Access accounts or in the ASCAP mobile app.

If you don't work these issues out early in the creative process, bad title registrations and disputes can end important creative relationships and result in inaccurate royalty payments or royalties going to the wrong person.

However, by making some simple, positive changes to your creative business practices, you and your fellow songwriters can create a world of good – for yourselves, your families, your community, your industry and billions of music lovers.

Watch the "Splitsville, USA" video below for an animated take on the joys of songwriting splits, with adapted lyrics by ASCAP Board members Desmond Child & Michelle Lewis. You can also watch a video, narrated by ASCAP Board member Alex Shapiro, about the importance of keeping your song data clean.

Visit Splitsville, USA

See how songwriters can create a world of good by making some positive changes to their business practices at the point of creation.

Why Accurate Data is Important to Songwriters

Learn the importance of accurately splitting songwriting shares and registering your music with ASCAP.

Frequently asked questions

  • Online Work Registration
How do I log on to the Online Work Registration system for the first time?

To start using ASCAP's Online Work Registration system, sign in to Member Access and click "Register a Work" under the "Works" menu on the left navigation bar.

You can also register your music with the ASCAP mobile app. Use Quick Registration to send us the basic writer, publisher and royalty split breakdown for your music, or go with Guided Registration for a more comprehensive walkthrough, where you’ll learn about all the data ASCAP needs to track performances of your music, and pay you accurately. Either way, the ASCAP mobile app makes it easy with an intuitive, step-by-step approach.

Can you walk me through a registration?

Please visit the Work Registration FAQ for help on how to register your work or use the tooltips found throughout the form.

Alternatively, you can download the ASCAP mobile app and register your music through our step-by-step Guided Registration option, where you’ll learn about all the data ASCAP needs to track performances of your music, and pay you accurately.

I want to register more titles, but I have forgotten my password. Should I start another account?
There is no need to start another account. Simply click the "Forgot password?" link on the Member Access page or ASCAP mobile app login screen, and you can recover your password.
How do I revise the writers, publishers or shares on a title that I have already submitted?
You may only revise a work that you originally registered online yourself. To revise the entitled party or share information for a work, click "View/Edit an Existing Title" on the navigation bar (or if you're using the ASCAP mobile app, click "Edit a work" from the Register dashboard). If the change(s) you submit instruct(s) ASCAP to delete an entitled party other than yourself or reduce the share of another entitled party, ASCAP may require signed correspondence from that party confirming the change.
Can I register a work that consists of sound effects, "white noise" or a comedy routine?

No. Members grant ASCAP only the right to license their musical works. Therefore, members should not register a work that consists entirely of non-musical content, such as sound effects, nature sounds, so-called "white noise" or a comedy routine.

 

May I register with ASCAP a work created using AI?
  • You MAY NOT at this time register fully AI-generated works with ASCAP.
  • You MAY register partially AI-generated works with ASCAP.
I need specific changes made to a work in my catalog that I didn't register. How do I edit this work?
Changes to a work you did not register can be done through Member Access. Click “Messages,” and create a "New Message." Select the category “My Catalog” and the topic “Work Record Update.” You will be assigned an inquiry number and notified when the work has been updated.
How do I decide royalty percentages for each of the writers and publishers?

Royalty percentages are completely up to you and your collaborators. Please discuss with them to determine the agreed-upon share splits prior to registering your music with ASCAP. While not required, we encourage you to agree to these percentages in writing.

 

Visit our Splitsville, USA page for more information on working out splits.

Why do the writer and publisher percentages have to add up to 50% each, instead of 100%?
The royalties we pay for a performance of our members’ music are divided evenly between the writers and publishers. When you’re registering music with ASCAP, make sure that all of the writer splits add up to 50%, and all of the publisher splits add up to 50%, for a total of 100%. If you are the publisher or co-publisher of your own works, you will receive your shares of royalties as both a writer and a publisher.
I have both an ASCAP writer and publisher membership. Do I have to register titles twice?

No. Titles should only be registered once, and will automatically appear in the catalogs of each entitled party listed on the initial registration.

Please note: If your work is not self-published, we prefer that the work be registered only by the publisher representing your interest.

I co-wrote a piece of music, and my co-writer already registered it. Do I need to register it as well?

If your co-writer registered the work with ASCAP, there is no need to register the song again – though it is a good idea to check with your co-writer to ensure that he/she registered it properly.

If your co-writer belongs to a different PRO, you will also need to register your work with ASCAP before we can track it and get you paid.

I’m a producer. How do I add myself to a song if the only options are “Writer” and “Publisher”?

ASCAP pays performance royalties to our members on the basis of writing and/or publishing music. Oftentimes producers do contribute to the underlying composition of the music. If that’s true in your case, your contributions as a “writer” or “co-writer” can be credited for the song you’re registering. Ultimately, the decision is up to you and your co-writers. Your ASCAP registration should be in accordance with the agreement you have in place with your collaborators.

I forgot my member number. Can you please send me my number?
Because of our privacy policy, we cannot provide your member code by email. However, you can find it in your Member Access account, on the ASCAP mobile app, on an ASCAP royalty statement, or by calling Global Member Services at 1-800-95-ASCAP.
Can I register my music if it hasn’t been performed yet?
Yes, you can register a piece of music as soon as you’ve written it! Once it has been performed, please add the name of the performer to the registration, either by editing your work directly (in Member Access or the ASCAP mobile app), or by submitting a Message via your Member Access account (category: “My Catalog,” topic: “Work Record - Update Other Details”).
Should I register instrumental versions of all my songs?

If the entitled writers, publishers and share percentages remain the same, there is no need to register different versions of your songs. They will all be considered the same work for payment purposes.

 

If different versions of the song are known by different titles, you can add alternate titles to an existing registration to cover all possible versions of the song.

 

If your additional versions do have different writers or different share splits, please register them as separate works with titles that differentiate them from the original work.

Should I register beats even if they haven’t been picked up on any full songs?
Only completed songs should be registered with ASCAP. Keep in mind that we only pay royalties after music has been “publicly performed.” So if you don’t intend for your music to be heard anywhere in its current form, consider waiting until it’s complete. 
Can I register a piece of music that contains a sample of someone else’s music?

If you are sampling an existing recording of someone else’s music, you will need to get permission from two copyright holders:

 

  1. The copyright holder(s) of the original master recording that you are sampling – often the record label that released the recording.
  2. The writers and publishers of the underlying composition that you are sampling

 

You can register original music with ASCAP that includes a sample of someone else’s copyrighted work, but you will need to agree on how to split royalty shares with the writer(s) and publisher(s) of the music you sampled. A good first step is to search for the music you sampled at ASCAP’s Repertory Search (www.ascap.com/repertory). Then contact the publisher(s) directly to work out splits.

What’s an “Admin/Subpublisher?”
An Admin (short for “Administrator”) is the business agent for another ASCAP publisher. A Sub-Publisher is a US-based business agent for a foreign publisher that is not a direct ASCAP member.
 
If you have an agreement with another publishing company, and you’re unsure of how to list them when you’re registering your music with ASCAP, contact the company. Often it is part of the admin or publisher’s responsibilities to register music with ASCAP on your behalf. 
I have an administrator (e.g. Songtrust) handling my ASCAP music registrations. Should they be making updates, or should I?
Please consult with your administrator to determine what they are responsible for, per your contract with them. If it is determined that they will not be registering your works with ASCAP, you may do so through your ASCAP Member Access account or the ASCAP mobile app. You may also edit the information for any works that you register with ASCAP.
 
If you have an administrator registering works on your behalf, we recommend that you periodically log into Member Access to check that everything in your catalog looks correct.