When you hire a musician in a work for hire agreement, the only "right thing" is that you own the music and the musician got paid and doesn't own it.

Great, great example: Carol Kaye. Most in demand bass player in session history. She is responsible for more iconic bass lines in the pop songs of the 60's that I care to list here.

Take the time to watch the documentary film The Wrecking Crew. In it she describes how she would go to a session and they would have charts for her. She would think they were boring and would often create her own lines. Nancy Sinatra's These Boots are Made for Walking.... that's Carol's bass line. Sonny & Cher, The Beach Boys, the Temptations..... all among her clients and all have classic bass lines that she invented on the spot for them. She got a paycheck and that's the end of it. She probably didn't get any credit on the album other than Bass: C.Kaye.

You have no obligation to even mention them. If you want to, you can.

And when it comes to myself....If I hire someone, and I have, they don't get any credit or share of the income from the commercial use I make of the song. All the publisher or library want to know from me is that I own 100% of the master rights and have signed agreements with any one else on the music and can legally represent the music in full.

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.