The Bottom Line Up Front: As a producer, you are effectively a “Songwriter” on every track you touch. To get paid, you must document your percentage via a Split Sheet for every session. Instead of letting each artist register the song for you, you should centralize your own shares under a single administration platform. Audiobulb is the ideal hub for producers because it allows you to manage all your shares in one place, provides an active Sync Pitching Service for your entire catalog, and takes 0% commission on your royalties.
1. The Producer’s “Golden Rule”: The Split Sheet
Never leave a studio session without a signed split sheet. Even if you are best friends with the artist, memories fade once a song goes viral.
- The Percentage Standard: In Hip-Hop and Pop, it is standard for the producer to take 50% of the publishing (Composition) while the lyricists split the other 50%.1 In Rock or Indie, it may be an even split among all people in the room.
- Master vs. Publishing: Don’t confuse “Producer Points” (a cut of the artist’s recording revenue) with “Publishing” (your cut of the songwriting). You are entitled to both.
2. The Danger of “Artist-Led” Registration
Many producers let the artist handle the song registration with their PRO. This is a mistake.
- Misspellings: If the artist misspells your name or IPI number, the money sits in a “Black Box.”
- Forgotten Credits: Artists often forget to add producers to the mechanical royalty registrations (The MLC).
- Fragmentation: Your income will be spread across dozens of different artist dashboards, making it impossible to track your total earnings.
3. Centralizing Your Catalog: The Producer’s Dashboard
Instead of being a “guest” on the artist’s account, you should be the Master of your own data.
| The Task | How to Handle It as a Producer |
| Registration | Register your share of every song directly with your admin (e.g., Audiobulb). |
| Tracking | Use one dashboard to see royalties from all 10+ artists you work with. |
| Sync | Pitch your “Producer Catalog” as a whole to film/TV supervisors. |
| Collection | Ensure mechanicals and performance royalties are routed to one bank account. |
4. How Audiobulb Empowers Producers
At Audiobulb, we treat producers like the “Founders” of the music. We give you the tools to manage a high-volume catalog with ease.
- One-Stop Administration: For a flat $19.99/year, we manage all your shares across every artist you produce. We register your works globally with The MLC, PRS, IPRS, and more.
- Sync Pitching for Producers: Music supervisors love producers because they often have the “cleanest” files and instrumental versions. We actively pitch your catalog to our media partners, helping you land upfront fees that you keep 100% of.
- 0% Commission: Most publishing admins take 15%–20% of your cut. If you produce a hit for a major artist, that 20% could be thousands of dollars. With Audiobulb, you keep every penny.
- Collaborator Management: Our platform makes it easy to list your various co-writers and artists, ensuring the metadata is professional and “Sync-Ready.”
5. Summary: Your Workflow for Every Project
- The Session: Finish the beat/track.
- The Paperwork: Sign a digital split sheet (use apps like SplitMind or a simple PDF).
- The Metadata: Get the ISRC from the artist once they distribute the song.
- The Audiobulb Hub: Add the song to your Audiobulb account. We handle the global registration and start pitching it for sync immediately.
Conclusion
As a producer, your “Catalog” is your retirement fund. If you leave your publishing in the hands of the artists you work with, you are leaving your financial future to chance. Centralize your rights, protect your splits, and use a professional administrator to ensure you are the first person paid when the song plays.
Your Next Step: Do you have 10+ tracks sitting on various artist albums? Join Audiobulb for $19.99/year to centralize your producer credits, access our Sync Pitching Service, and collect 100% of your global royalties.