{
  "slug": "split-sheet-royalty",
  "title": "Split Sheet Royalty Calculator",
  "heading": "Songwriter Split Sheet Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/split-sheet-royalty",
  "summary": "Divide songwriting and production credit into exact percentages.",
  "description": "A split sheet documents who owns what percentage of a song's copyright before it's released, and it's the single most disputed document in independent music because nobody wants the awkward conversation upfront. This calculator takes contributor roles — topline melody, lyrics, beat/production, additional writers — and a weighting you assign, then normalizes everything to sum to exactly 100%, which is required for PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) registration and mechanical royalty collection to work correctly.",
  "formula": "Each contributor's final % = (their weight ÷ sum of all weights) × 100, normalized to total 100%.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=split-sheet-royalty",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "writer1",
      "label": "Contributor 1 weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 40,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "writer2",
      "label": "Contributor 2 weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 30,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "writer3",
      "label": "Contributor 3 weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 20,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "writer4",
      "label": "Contributor 4 weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 10,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "revenue",
      "label": "Total royalty revenue to split",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "pct1",
      "label": "Contributor 1 share",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "pct2",
      "label": "Contributor 2 share",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "pct3",
      "label": "Contributor 3 share",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "pct4",
      "label": "Contributor 4 share",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "pay1",
      "label": "Contributor 1 payout at entered revenue",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Contributor 1 weight: 40",
      "Contributor 2 weight: 30",
      "Contributor 3 weight: 20",
      "Contributor 4 weight: 10",
      "Total royalty revenue to split: 1000 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Contributor 1 share: 40.0%",
      "Contributor 2 share: 30.0%",
      "Contributor 3 share: 20.0%",
      "Contributor 4 share: 10.0%",
      "Contributor 1 payout at entered revenue: $400.00"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter contributor 1 weight.",
      "Enter contributor 2 weight.",
      "Enter contributor 3 weight.",
      "Enter contributor 4 weight.",
      "Enter total royalty revenue to split ($).",
      "Read your contributor 1 share on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "writer1": 24,
        "writer2": 18,
        "writer3": 12,
        "writer4": 6,
        "revenue": 600
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "writer1": 40,
        "writer2": 30,
        "writer3": 20,
        "writer4": 10,
        "revenue": 1000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "writer1": 64,
        "writer2": 48,
        "writer3": 32,
        "writer4": 16,
        "revenue": 1600
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Who should be on a split sheet?",
      "a": "Anyone who contributed original musical or lyrical material — melody writers, lyricists, and the producer if they programmed original chords, melody, or arrangement rather than just engineering. Session musicians playing a pre-written part and mix/master engineers are typically paid a flat fee, not a copyright split, unless negotiated otherwise."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does the beatmaker automatically get 50%?",
      "a": "It's a common industry norm but not a rule — 50/50 between 'the beat' and 'the topline' works when there's one producer and one writer, but breaks down fast with multiple collaborators. Weight by actual creative contribution and get everyone's signature before release."
    },
    {
      "q": "When does the split sheet need to be signed?",
      "a": "Before or immediately after the session, while everyone remembers who did what. Waiting until a song is successful to sort out splits is how most publishing disputes and lawsuits start — sign it the same day if possible."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does this affect master recording ownership too?",
      "a": "No — a split sheet covers the composition (the underlying song), which is separate from the master recording copyright. Master splits, often tied to who paid for the recording, need their own separate agreement."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mechanical-royalty-split",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gig-pay-split",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sync-licensing-fee"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Split Sheet Royalty Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/split-sheet-royalty)"
}