Hi Ian and Eddie

As you've pointed out, some of the most famous songs of all time have been collaborations. I'm thinking of teams like Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lennon and McCartney, David and Bacharach, etc. It's a really long list. Many collaborators do so because one writes lyrics and one writes music - e.g. George and Ira Gershwin, Rice and Lloyd-Weber.

There have also been some hugely successful solo writers: Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Dianne Warren, Avril Lavigne, Dolly Parton, etc.

My experience is that co-writing definitely brings something extra to the table. Mixing another person's ideas on lyrics and/or melody with mine almost always result in a stronger song. For collaborations to work though, it has to be a joint effort and it's necessary to respect one another's points of view.

What the woman in Eddie's post does is not what most songwriters would call collaboration. She is simply performing an already written song. As such, the writer of the original song is under no obligation to include her as a co-writer. If, on the other hand, the already written song is simply a song in its beginning stages and is used as somewhere to start and the two writers toss the music and lyrics backwards and forwards between them to arrive at a new and improved song, the process would be collaboration as I understand it.

I've found that before any collaboration starts, it's better to agree on percentage split on publishing and royalties. That usually avoids any later upsets.

Just my two pennies worth!
Noel

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