Songwriting Pro is a community for songwriters who are ready to WRITE like a pro, DO BUSINESS like a pro and CONNECT to pros. Hundreds of songwriters from all over the world use Songwriting Pro to get their songs in front of music industry professionals, find collaborators and gain real-world, real-time knowlege about the music business. We'd love to have you join us... so what are you waiting for? Join today!
Songwriter, how is ownership divided on a song? Who decides? And what is the norm in Nashville? Here's the truth. Listen up if you want to do business the way the pros do business.
You can listen to all of our latest episodes with a CLICK HERE!
Songwriting Pro Membership allows you to connect to the real music business- no matter where you live and even if you don't "know anybody." Get all the details at the link below... and take the next big step in your songwriting career!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS!
TRANSCRIPT:
Thanks, Ozzy. Today, I want to talk about the truth about song splits. In other words, you write a song with another person or two other people or three other people... who gets what percentage of the song? Here's the truth about how we do it in Nashville, which is country music and Christian and gospel music for the most part.
Pop & hip hop, they may have some different standards... So you want to do what works well in your industry. But in Nashville, everybody gets even splits. Everybody gets an equal share of the ownership of the song. This is understood. We don't even talk about it. It's just understood that everybody gets even splits, whether you just bring the lyric or just bring the track or you work on both the lyric and melody or whatever. Equal splits.
There's an old saying that says "word for third." It's a joke, but it reveals the Nashville culture that if you contribute at all, you're in for an equal share. You may not contribute much, or the other writer in the room may not contribute much, but everybody gets an equal share.
And I think this is smart, for a couple of reasons. One, we're all serving the song, we're not serving our percentage of the song. I'm not fighting with you over that line in verse two, because I want that higher percentage. And I don't have it in the back of my mind that maybe, when you're lobbying for your line or melody in the chorus, it's more about your percentage. It keeps all that stuff off the table.
And all we're trying to do is serve the song. And I think you end up with better songs that way. When we know that when we're wrangling and trying to figure out how to write this thing and what line's best, what melody is the best... that we're not arguing over percentage, we're arguing over how to make the song the best it can be. And I think that's a much better way to pursue songwriting. It keeps the creative process more pure, and you end up with a better song and better chance that money's going to be made at all.
The other thing is, what goes around comes around. So today, I may be off. And I may not contribute very much. I may come in with a title. And that's all I do all day. And maybe my other two co writers or the other person is just on fire and I'm playing cheerleader just going "Yeah, that's great. That's great. Keep going do that!"
Other days, maybe I carry most of the weight of the song, and you're the one being cheerleader. And what goes around comes around, it's going to even out over time. And if it doesn't, we're going to know that you don't bring the goods and you're not going to be in those rooms very much longer. Or if I don't bring the goods, I'm not going to be in the room much longer. And that's why we can share percentages equally - because it evens out over time. And that is the truth about song splits.
This has been three minutes and the truth.
God bless,
Brent
PS- Thanks for stopping by Songwriting Pro! I appreciate it. As a matter of fact, I want to give you a special little something just for your visit. Actually, it's a BIG something - over an hour of free interviews with hit-making songwriters and producers! This look into the Songwriting Pro Member Area is full of tips to help you succeed at the art, craft and business of songwriting. You can gain access to all this good stuff at SongwritingPro.com/preview.
Who is Brent Baxter?
Brent is an award-winning songwriter with songs recorded by Alan Jackson (the top 5 Country hit "Monday Morning Church"), Randy Travis, Lady A, Joe Nichols, Ray Stevens, Steve Cropper, Andy Griggs, Buddy Jewell, Lonestar, Gord Bamford (the #1 hit and CCMA Single Of The Year "When Your Lips Are So Close"), The Sound (the #1 hit and Dove-nominated Southern Gospel Song Of The Year "Can I Get A Witness"), Wilburn & Wilburn (#1 hit "Hallelujah Homecoming"), The LeFevre Quartet and more!
