Free Split Sheet Generator

A split sheet is the simplest piece of paperwork in songwriting, and the one most often skipped. It takes five minutes at the end of a session and records who wrote the song and what share each writer owns. Below is a free split sheet generator you can fill in on your phone before everyone leaves the room, followed by what to include, the mistakes to avoid and how performing rights organisations (PROs) use the information.

Make your split sheet now

Fill in the song, add each writer and their share, and download a PDF ready to sign. The shares must total exactly 100% before the PDF is created. Everything runs in your browser: nothing you type is uploaded or stored on our servers, and your draft is saved only on this device until you clear it.

What is a split sheet?

A split sheet is a short written agreement, signed by everyone who wrote a song, that lists each writer and the percentage of the song (the musical work: the melody and lyrics) they own. It usually also records each writer’s PRO, their IPI number and any publisher.

It is about the song, not the recording. Who owns the master recording, and what a producer is paid for the recording, are usually separate agreements. A split sheet answers one question: of the song itself, who owns how much?

There is no official form and no fixed formula for splitting a song. APRA AMCOS’s guide to co-writing splits says there are no set rules and that writers should discuss splits openly, and notes that even an email chain is better than nothing. A signed split sheet is that conversation written down.

When to do a split sheet: at the session

Do it before anyone leaves the room, or the same day if the session was remote. APRA AMCOS suggests talking about splits before you even start writing. Memories are freshest at the session, everyone is still on good terms and nobody yet knows whether the song will be a hit.

Waiting until a song is released, synced or charting is when split conversations get difficult. If the song changes later, such as a new verse or a new co-writer, do a new split sheet and keep the old one.

What to include in a split sheet

• Song title, plus any working or alternate title, so the sheet can be matched to demos and session files.
• Date and place of the session.
• Each writer’s legal name, plus their artist name if they use one. PROs register works under legal names.
• What each writer contributed, such as lyrics, music or both. This is a helpful record, but the agreed share is what counts.
• Each writer’s share, totalling exactly 100%.
• PRO and IPI number. The IPI (Interested Party Information) number identifies a songwriter or publisher across societies worldwide.
• Publisher details, if a writer has a publishing deal, and the publisher’s share under that deal.
• Contact email for each writer.
• Notes on samples, interpolations or other agreements, such as “no samples”, or which earlier song is interpolated and whether clearance is still needed.
• A signature and date from every writer.

Common split sheet mistakes

• Leaving it until later. APRA AMCOS lists not agreeing on splits before registering as a common registration mistake.
• Shares that don’t add up to 100%. A sheet totalling 90% or 110% just postpones the argument. The generator above won’t create a PDF until the total is exactly 100%.
• Using artist names only. “DVO” isn’t enough to match a writer to their PRO account. Use legal names.
• Missing IPI numbers. Ask each co-writer for their IPI at the session. ASCAP notes that, unlike your member ID, your IPI number is public information, so it is safe to share with collaborators.
• Not discussing producers. If a producer contributed to the song itself, talk about whether they are a writer and record what you agree. Payment for producing the recording is a separate deal.
• Forgetting samples. A sample or interpolation can change who needs to agree and how much of the song is available to split. Note it, and get it cleared before release.
• Nobody keeps a copy. Send every writer the signed sheet, and keep it with the session demo.

How PROs use split sheet information

PROs don’t usually ask to see your split sheet. They use the same information when the song is registered, which is how royalties are divided between writers.

• APRA AMCOS (Australia and New Zealand). In APRA AMCOS’s work registration guide, you add each co-writer, their role and the agreed songwriting splits, which must total 100%. If all co-writers are members, only one needs to register the song. If a writer has a publisher, the publisher usually registers the work. Changing splits after registration means contacting APRA AMCOS and may need the other writers’ approval.
• BMI (US). The BMI Royalty Policy Manual describes shares on a 200% scale: 100% for writers and 100% for publishers, with writers able to claim the full 200% when there is no publisher. Each registration has to list all writers and publishers, whether or not they are with BMI. BMI says it enters shares from the first registration it receives and notifies the parties if a later registration conflicts.
• ASCAP (US). The ASCAP IPI FAQ explains that an IPI is a 9 to 11 digit number assigned when you join, and recommends swapping IPI numbers with your collaborators. ASCAP also says every writer on a song needs an IPI before an ISWC (the song’s international identifier) can be assigned.

The IPI system is international. As APRA AMCOS explains, it was designed by CISAC, the international confederation of societies, and an IPI stays with you for life. That is why the split sheet asks for it: the right IPI on every registration helps royalties reach the right writer, whichever society collects them.

Registration records how royalties are paid, not who owns the song. APRA AMCOS has said that registering a work “does not, in and of itself, determine or even record actual copyright ownership”. The split sheet is the writers’ own record of their agreement.

Why keep dated evidence of the sheet and the demo

A signed split sheet shows what the writers agreed. It doesn’t show when it was signed or what the song sounded like that day, and a PDF or audio file can be edited later without leaving obvious traces. If a split is challenged, or a similar song appears months later, the question becomes: what existed, and when?

That is why it helps to keep independent, verifiable evidence of when a file existed. TimeBinder hashes your files in your browser (they are never uploaded) and anchors the SHA-256 fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain. You get a Proof of Time Certificate that anyone can check, showing the file existed in that exact form by a certain time and hasn’t changed since. Put the signed split sheet, the session demo and the lyric sheet in the same TimeBind.

A timestamp doesn’t prove who wrote a song. It is one piece of a wider record that includes drafts, session files, messages and the split sheet itself. For the bigger picture, read our guide on how to prove you wrote a song first.

AI can rewrite files. It can’t rewrite time. Once your split sheet is signed, TimeBind it with the demo before the song leaves the studio. The Free plan covers 1 TimeBind a month, and each TimeBind can hold up to 10 files.

TimeBind Your Split Sheet Free →

This split sheet generator is a template, not legal advice. If you are unsure about splits, samples or a publishing deal, get independent advice before signing. PRO details were checked on 24 October 2026; check your society’s current rules before registering.