Work together, protect your music.

Guides for finding and working with collaborators

• Where to find singers for your original songs
• How to collaborate with a music producer remotely
• How to split songwriting royalties fairly
• How to find musicians for a band or recording project
• How to prepare stems and demos for a mixing engineer

Write a request that gets replies

• Be specific. "Live drums for a 90 BPM hip-hop chorus" beats "need a drummer".
• Add the track. Link a rough mix so people can hear what they are joining. Only link music you own or have permission to share.
• Say what you are offering. Choose the compensation option and put the numbers or split in the Terms field.
• Set a deadline and say whether you need a remote or local player.
• Reply fast. Musicians move on if they hear nothing back.

Agree terms before you start

CollabWav does not process payments or enforce agreements, so the agreement you make with your collaborator is the only protection either of you has. Before anyone records a note, write down:

• What is being delivered (for example: a guitar solo, 3 takes, WAV stems) and by when.
• Payment: the amount, when it is due and how it will be paid.
• Ownership and splits: who owns the song and the recording, and how any royalties are shared.
• Credit: how and where the collaborator is credited.
• Revisions: how many rounds of changes are included.
• Work for hire or royalty: a flat fee usually means the collaborator is paid once and does not share in the song; a split means they share in future income. Be clear which one you mean.

Keep it in a message thread, email or signed document. For larger projects, talk to an entertainment lawyer.

Split sheet template

A split sheet records who wrote a song and how ownership is divided. Fill one in for every song, ideally before release.

Print the split sheet

Copyright basics

• Two copyrights. A recorded song usually has one for the composition (melody and lyrics) and one for the sound recording. Different people can own each.
• Samples need permission. If you use part of someone else's recording, you generally need permission for the recording and the composition, even for a short clip.
• Covers are different from originals. Releasing a cover usually needs a license for the composition.
• Don't post what you don't own. That includes full commercial tracks, ripped audio and stems from other artists. See our Copyright Policy.
• Register your work. Registration with a copyright office gives you stronger legal options if someone copies your work.
• Royalties. Performing rights organizations, mechanical licensing bodies and digital performance services each collect different kinds of royalties. Registering as a writer and as a recording owner is how you get paid by them.

Sharing files and stems

• Export stems at the same start point, so they line up when dropped into a session.
• Use WAV at 24-bit and the project's sample rate (usually 44.1 or 48 kHz). Use MP3 only for rough previews.
• Share the tempo, key and a click or guide track.
• Name files clearly: Song_Part_Version_Date.
• Keep your own backups and save the exact version you sent.
• Share through a cloud folder or file-transfer service and link it in your messages. CollabWav does not host audio files.

Staying safe

• Never send money to someone you haven't worked with for "fees", "deposits" or "verification".
• Be cautious of anyone who rushes you, offers far more than the job is worth or asks to move quickly to another app.
• For paid work, agree on payment milestones. For example: part up front, the rest on delivery.
• Keep conversations in CollabWav messages so there is a record, and don't share passwords or financial details.
• Meeting in person? Choose a public place or a professional studio and tell someone where you are going.
• Report anything suspicious to hello@collabwav.com.

Official organizations

These are independent organizations, not affiliated with CollabWav. Check each site for the current details.

• U.S. Copyright Office: register your work and read the basics.
• The MLC: mechanical royalties for songwriters and publishers in the U.S.
• SoundExchange: digital performance royalties for recording owners and artists.
• ASCAP and BMI: performing rights organizations for songwriters and publishers.

Glossary

This page is general information to help you get started. It isn't legal, tax or financial advice, and laws differ by country. For anything important, speak to a qualified professional.