Masters, publishing and splits: the three things to sort out first
Before a song comes out, every collaborator should agree who owns what. It saves friendships and money.
A song earns money in two ways, and each needs its own paperwork.
1. The master
The sound recording itself. Whoever owns the master earns from streams, downloads and sync of that recording. Agree on master ownership and how master income is shared.
2. The publishing
The composition: melody and lyrics. Writers earn through their performing rights organisation (PRO), such as COTT in Trinidad & Tobago, BUMA/STEMRA in the Netherlands, or BMI and ASCAP in the US. Each writer needs a PRO and an IPI number.
3. The split sheet
One signed page listing every writer, their share, their PRO and their IPI. Sign it the day the song is written, not the day it blows up.
Every Melonade Music release goes out with a signed split sheet and a master agreement, so everybody gets paid correctly.
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