Set up royalty splits the right way: share fairly, no fallout
As soon as more than one person earns from a track, you need a royalty split. Settle it before release and you save yourself arguments about money later. Here's how to do it right.
What a royalty split is
A royalty split divides the income of a track or release automatically across several parties — features, producers, co-writers or investors. Instead of one person collecting everything and transferring it on by hand, each party gets their share directly. The clean definition is in the /glossar.
The benefit isn't just convenience but transparency: everyone sees their percentage and their payout in black and white. That removes the ambiguity from money before it turns into conflict.
Per track or per release — and at what percentage
Splits can be set per individual track or across a whole release. A feature on just one song gets its share on exactly that track; a producer who built the whole album, release-wide instead. At OGRECORDS™ the number of recipients is unlimited and the calculation runs in real time.
On the percentage there's no fixed rule — what matters is that the total adds up to 100 % and everyone agrees before the track goes live. Put it in writing. More on the mechanics is on /royalty-splits.
Settle the splits before release
The most common mistake is settling splits only once money is already flowing. Then you're negotiating retroactively — the most awkward situation there is. Set the division up in the wizard while everyone is still relaxed and the track is fresh.
If you handle figures sensitively, confidential splits help: the division works normally, but the individual amounts stay private between you and each recipient. That keeps the relationship professional even when several people earn from the same track.
Splits are included in distribution at OGRECORDS™ — details on /royalty-splits.