Dividing the authorship of songs

[yammer107]

I'm curious... for you cowriters/collaborators;What dictates how you divide up the authorship of a song ? Is it just decided on a one by one basis depending on the people involved and their roles?Is it just easier and more politically correct to chop it down the center? (would likely attract more partners)Does it depend who had the initial idea or song in progress? Do you consider certain roles more important/deserving of a bigger share? IE: music vs lyricsIs all this a non-issue if niether writer has ever had a break? Chris

[suzdoyle]

I go with equal shares for all co-writers, regardless of how much each person puts into it. Sometimes a change of one word or phrase can transform a song from a "hmm, not bad" tune to a "WOW!" one.So to me, I like the simplicity of having co-writers sharing everything equally -- which also honors that even small contributions are essential to having shaped the final song. ,Suz

[hummingbird]

I divide it equally among all co-writers, regardless of their perceived contribution. I don't see music being more or less valuable than lyrics, or this idea being more valuable than that. But whatever the agreement is going to be - decide on it up front, before the writing process begins. If you're writing with a band, then you should also have a band agreement.

[yammer107]

Thanks Again just curious what some of you typically do, not leaning one way or the other myself - just another potential 'can of worms' to be avoided I was not sure about. ~Chris

[mazz]

Mar 17, 2009, 9:02pm, hummingbird wrote:I divide it equally among all co-writers, regardless of their perceived contribution. I don't see music being more or less valuable than lyrics, or this idea being more valuable than that. But whatever the agreement is going to be - decide on it up front, before the writing process begins. If you're writing with a band, then you should also have a band agreement.Good advice!!No matter how you choose to do it, get it in writing BEFORE you start the collaboration. This is particularly critical in a band situation but really should be done no matter what.There's nothing worse than having to rely on memory after a handshake agreement. It's easier to pull out a piece of paper and say "see, this is what we agreed to in black and white".Note to self (and anyone else who needs a gentle reminder): This is your life's work and also a business. Treat it with the reverence, respect and professionalism that it deserves!!Cheers!!Mazz

[yammer107]

Thanks Mazz PS to all : I've never done any co-writes or collabs.... thats my reason for asking. Kinda gearing up tward that direction though.....Chris

[andreh]

Equal writing credits from the get-go can make the creative process smoother without everyone worrying about their percentages. No harm in different divisions based on context, though; I've done 75/25, 90/10, and other splits depending on a LOT of factors.As long as everyone feels they're getting their fair share (and ideally actually are), then the most important thing is determining upfront what the splits will look like...and getting it in writing!André

[dyien]

In my opinion, as you said, it's a non-issue if neither writer has ever had a break. Regardless though, lyrics and music are equally important, and I'd say mostly make the split as even as possible - as suzdoyle said, one word can transform a song. Best thing is to make sure you can prove ownership of your part of the song in case things do go bad ;-)Just my two cents =)