Credits / Publishing
Credits
Credits help define the creative contributors behind a song.
You must include the real full names of each person (first and last name).
⚠️ The following credits are mandatory:
At least one Composer
At least one Producer
At least one Writer (only required if the song contains lyrics)
Select roles from the dropdown list to properly credit each contributor. Multiple people can share the same role.
Publishing
Publishing defines the ownership of the composition (not the recording).
Important: Publishing royalties are not paid through SONGS.
You can choose to automatically set publishing shares by checking the box “Automatically set publishing from credits”.
This will divide the publishing evenly:
Between all Writers (for lyrics)
And all Composers (for music)
— each group will get 50%.
You may also set publishing splits manually, by assigning a percentage and selecting a rights status for each contributor:
Rights
For each contributor in the publishing section, you must specify their rights status. You can choose one of the following:
Copyright control (self-published) → The writer or composer manages their own rights and is not signed to any publisher.
Published (managed by a publisher) → The contributor has assigned their publishing rights to a third-party publisher.
Public domain (no publisher) → The composition is not under copyright (e.g. traditional or classical works in the public domain).
This information is required solely to:
Deliver correct metadata to DSPs
Facilitate future publishing claims
Align with the data you’ve submitted to your PRO (e.g. ASCAP, SGAE, SACEM...)
⚠️ The publishing information has no effect on how revenue is distributed through SONGS.
Revenue in SONGS is based on digital master royalties, not publishing rights, and is managed through Songshares SongShares
To ensure accurate royalty collection, the publishing splits listed here must match those registered with your Performing Rights Organization.
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