OWN EVERY TRACK.
A song has two separate copyrights: the composition (melody and lyrics) and the sound recording (the master). Whoever wrote the composition owns it, and whoever paid for and controlled the recording usually owns the master, unless a contract says otherwise. Ownership is proved by a signed split sheet and, ideally, a timestamped public record made before any dispute starts.
Splits signed the day the song is made, masters on record, and money that arrives where it should.
LAST REVIEWED
THE SITUATION
Most songs are made by more than one person, and the deal happens in the room or in the chat: fifty fifty, you take the hook, send me the stems. Everyone agrees, nobody writes it down, and the song comes out anyway.
That works until the song does. The moment money, sync requests or a label shows up, the missing split sheet becomes the most expensive document you never made.
WHAT BREAKS.
No split sheet
A verbal fifty-fifty deal is not a legal split. Without a signed document, a dispute over a hit song comes down to memory against memory, and the person with the better lawyer usually wins.
Handshake features
A guest verse with no paper trail means every future sync, remix or reissue needs the feature's cooperation again, even years later when they are harder to reach.
Producer publishing grab
Some producer agreements fold in a share of publishing along with the beat fee, often buried in a clause the artist never reads before recording starts.
Unregistered masters
In the US, you cannot sue for statutory damages or attorney's fees on an infringed song unless it was registered with the Copyright Office before the infringement, or promptly after publication.
Uncontrolled AI training
Streaming platforms and third parties can scrape catalogues for AI training with no opt-out mechanism unless the artist or label states terms explicitly.
WHAT YOU CAN OWN.
COPYRIGHT
Composition and master recording are two separate copyrights, both automatic on creation.
TRADEMARK
An artist or band name used in commerce can be trademarked, separate from any song copyright.
DESIGN RIGHT
Music has no design right; artwork or packaging is covered separately by copyright.
PATENT
Songs are not inventions, so patent law has no role here.
TRADE SECRET
Unreleased masters can be protected as confidential material contractually, but that is not a trade secret in the legal sense.
LIKENESS
An artist's name, voice and image used in promotion or AI cloning falls under publicity or likeness rights, separate from the song.
FOUR STEPS.
DROP
Paste the chat where the deal happened, or drop the file that holds the deal.
EXAMINE
Deed maps who owns what and flags what has no paper behind it.
EXECUTE
Split sheets signed by everyone in minutes, registration where it counts, one link for the label.
DEFEND
A public record stating whether you allow AI training, and a numbered record to point at when someone asks who owns the song.
KEY FACTS
- 01A song's composition and its master recording are owned separately and can belong to different people.
- 02Copyright in a song exists automatically at creation in most countries; registration is optional but strengthens remedies.
- 03A split sheet is not legally required to exist, but without one, splits default to whatever a court infers from conduct.
- 04US law lets a US-registered work claim statutory damages; EU law has no equivalent registration system for copyright.
- 05Sampling a recording requires clearing both the composition and the master, from two different rights holders.
QUESTIONS
+Do I need a split sheet if we agreed in chat?
Yes. A chat is proof of a conversation, not of a deal. A split sheet turns that conversation into a record every collaborator signs, so no one has to remember it a year later.
+What happens when a label asks for chain of title?
You send one Deed link. Every writer, producer and featured artist appears with their share and signature. The label gets what it needs without a week of email.
+Can I block AI training on my masters?
Yes. Every Deed states whether AI training is allowed, blocked or licensed, and the answer is machine readable through our public API.
+Who owns the master if the label paid for the studio?
Usually the label, if the contract says so. Ownership of the master follows whoever funded and controlled the recording, unless the artist negotiated to retain it.
+Do I own a song if I only sang it?
Not on its own. A performance without a writing credit does not create ownership in the composition, though it may create neighbouring rights in some countries.