Guides & Tutorials
Master vs. Publishing Royalties: Why Split Sheets Matter
Understand the two ways one song earns money, who is paid from each, and why a signed split sheet is what gets you paid without disputes.
In short
- Master royalties come from the recording. Publishing from the composition.
- A split sheet settles publishing. Master ownership is a separate deal.
- Without a signed split, PROs hold royalties in dispute.
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Master royalties: the recording
Master royalties come from the recording itself: streams, downloads, sync placements. Usually owned by whoever paid to make the recording: the artist, a label, or shared between them. Collected by distributors and labels; for performance-only, by SoundExchange (US) or equivalent.
- 2
Publishing royalties: the composition
Publishing royalties come from the underlying song: the melody, lyrics, and chord structure. Owned by songwriters and their publishers. Collected by PROs (ASCAP, BMI, PRS) for performance and by mechanical societies (MLC, HFA) for streaming mechanicals.
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Why the split matters
One song generates both royalty streams in parallel. If three people wrote it, they need to agree on publishing splits that total 100% before any of them can register it. Without a signed split sheet, PROs hold royalties in dispute or pay only the registered writer.
- Producer point on the master is negotiated separately from publishing splits.
- Uncleared samples invalidate both streams. Clear them before release.
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What the Vandall split sheet locks down
Use the split sheet wizard to record publishing splits. On the Define people involved step, give each person their Share % of the songwriting. The Current split box at the top tells you when the total is exactly 100%. The split sheet doesn't assign master ownership. Agree that separately with your label or co-owners, and get both in writing before the release goes live.
Tips
- Master ownership and publishing splits are separate deals. A 50/50 publishing split doesn't mean a 50/50 master split.
- Clarify producer points on the master before recording, not after.
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