Royalty splits are the conversation most collaborators avoid until it becomes a problem. Have it early — here's what's standard, and how to put it in writing before the track is released.
There's no legal default for how a collaboration's royalties are split — it's whatever the contributors agree to. But a few structures have become the common starting point in electronic music, useful as a baseline before you negotiate what fits your specific project.
| Collaboration Type | Common Starting Split |
|---|---|
| Producer + vocalist writing their own topline/lyrics | 50/50 master |
| Producer wrote melody, vocalist performs only | Producer majority + session fee or smaller % to vocalist, no publishing share |
| Two co-producers, equal contribution | 50/50 master and publishing |
| Co-producers, unequal contribution | Agreed and documented before work begins |
| Mix or master engineer (non-creative) | Flat fee, no royalty share |
The split conversation feels awkward before you've made anything together. It feels far worse after the track is out and doing well. Have it in the first message, not the last.
A split sheet is a short written record listing every contributor to a track and their agreed percentage of the master and publishing. It doesn't need to be a formal legal contract for early-stage or informal work — a clear email that both parties confirm in writing is enough. For anything going to a label or into commercial distribution, use a proper signed split sheet.
These are two separate pools of income and ownership, and collaborators often only think about one of them. The master is the specific sound recording — streaming royalties are typically paid against master ownership. Publishing is the underlying composition — the melody and lyrics — and is paid separately whenever the song is performed, synced, or covered. A vocalist who wrote the topline should usually hold a publishing share even if they don't own any of the master.
A 50/50 master split is the common starting point when the vocalist writes their own topline and lyrics. If the producer wrote the melody and the vocalist is performing only, the split usually shifts toward the producer, with the vocalist receiving a session fee or a smaller royalty percentage instead.
A short written document listing every contributor and their agreed percentage of ownership. You need one for any track you plan to release, signed before or immediately after the session.
50/50 is standard unless the contribution is clearly unequal, in which case the split should be agreed and documented before work begins.