Why do Songbay contracts recommend a 25% royalty share for lyricists rather than 50%?

Our contracts specify a minimum 25% royalty share for lyricists when a lyric is turned into a completed song. This is not because we undervalue lyrics; strong lyrics are vital to a successful song.

However, from our extensive experience, 25% is a fair and workable share because the songwriter, composer, or producer usually makes the additional creative and financial investment required to turn a lyric into a finished, recorded song. This may include years of composition and instrumental study, recording equipment, studio hire, production costs, session musicians, mixing, mastering, and often multi-instrumental performance.

For this reason, 25% is already higher than the usual industry norm, where lyricists may receive around 10-15%, or sometimes only a one-off fee with no royalty share.

In practical terms, if a royalty share is set too high, many songwriters will simply choose to write their own lyrics rather than give away 50% of the finished song. Our 25% contract position is designed to protect lyricists while still keeping the arrangement attractive and realistic for songwriters and producers.

Users are free to negotiate their own arrangements, but our contracts are intended to provide a fair and practical starting point for both parties.