How to protect your music
Protecting your music starts with documentation. Here are the practical steps every creator should take before releasing any song.
Step 1: Document ownership immediately
Create a split sheet for every co-written song. Do it during or immediately after the session. This is the single most important step.
Step 2: Use the right agreement
For co-writers: split sheet or co-writer agreement. For hired contractors: work-for-hire agreement. Using the wrong document — or no document — is the most common cause of music disputes.
Ready to create your split sheet?
Create split sheetStep 3: Register with your PRO
Register every song with your performing rights organization (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, PRS) using the agreed percentages from your split sheet.
Step 4: Consider copyright registration
Formal copyright registration strengthens your ability to enforce ownership if a dispute goes to court. In the US, register through copyright.gov.
Step 5: Keep records
Save all signed documents, session notes, and communication. Digital records in a platform like CAZEN provide timestamped, co-signed proof that’s harder to dispute than PDFs or email threads.
Start with a split sheet
The fastest way to protect ownership in any collaboration.
CAZEN is free for now.
Continue your workflow
Use these tools to put what you learned into practice.
Split Sheet Generator
Create a split sheet PDF with names, roles, and percentages.
Create split sheetMusic Split Calculator
Calculate ownership splits using equal, manual, or weighted methods.
Calculate splitsCo-Writer Agreement Generator
Draft a co-writing agreement with custom terms and signature lines.
Draft agreementWork-for-Hire Agreement Generator
Create a work-for-hire agreement for creative contractors.
Create agreementMake it permanent.
A PDF can be edited or disputed. In CAZEN, every collaborator signs digitally and the record is permanently timestamped.
Free during early access. iOS only.