While the producers, publishers and agents of the music industry can put nearly anything they want in a recording contract, there are certain standards that are assumed for royalties. While no songwriter should ever blindly sign a contract for this reason, there are certain numbers that can be used as calculations or as starting points for negotiations. Here is a list of royalty payments.

  • Sheet Music: Either $.05 to $.15 for an individual song to be published as purchasable sheet music or 50% of the music publisher’s earnings
  • Folios: This is a collection of songs by a songwriter for printing in a compendium book. Either 10%-15% of the wholesale price from the distributor or 50% of the music publisher’s earnings.
  • Records: 50% of the music publisher’s earnings whether on compilation or sole songwriter production
  • Television and Films: Synchronization rights equal 50% of monies collected by music publisher
  • Commercials: 50% of all monies brought in through all forms of ad revenue both one time and continuing

The only non-standard royalty or payment for a songwriter is in the case of a singer songwriter. Deals are infinitely possible with breakdowns of percentages for performance versus royalties with the more experienced acts earning higher revenues on everything from playback to t-shirt sales at a concert.