Hi Musiclover,

In my experience, a 50/50 split would usually be between two writers who have had equal input into composing a song. It might be that one person does the lyrics, the other does the melody; maybe the two writers contributed equally to music and lyrics; etc. A person who is involved in the playing of an already written song (such as putting a demo together) does not usually get a royalty split as they are paid upfront for their work as a studio musician.

I have also found that it's a good idea to discuss money (payment, % of royalties, etc.) and to sign agreements prior to committing myself to any involvement with a project. When it comes to writing songs, I've learned that there's no such thing as a "foregone conclusion".

A book you might like to read that discusses this as well as a whole heap of other stuff is by John Braheny and it's called "The Craft And Business Of Songwriting".

Regards,
Noel


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