Collaboration Agreement Checklist

What this is

A collaboration agreement checklist is the structured conversation two or more artists have before they build something together — a joint song, a duo project, a full EP, a tour billed as one act. It is not the contract itself. It is the pre-contract document you use to make sure every important question has been asked, answered, and written down, so that when a lawyer turns your decisions into a real agreement there are no surprises.

Most creative disputes between collaborators are not about betrayal. They are about two people who never actually agreed on the same thing in the first place. One artist thought the project was a one-off single; the other thought it was a launch pad for a duo. One thought the master was split 50/50; the other assumed the producer who paid for studio time owned it outright. The paperwork gap is where friendships end and lawyers begin.

This checklist walks through the questions that need answers before you commit real time, real money, or a real release date. Work through it together. Write down each answer. Then take those answers to an attorney before you sign anything binding.

This resource is general information for artists, not legal advice. A split sheet or collaboration document has real ownership consequences. Before signing, have an entertainment attorney in your state review anything you're actually about to execute. SongBattle and MixxMedia LLC are not your lawyers.

When to use it

Run this checklist before the first serious writing or recording session for any multi-artist project, before you announce a duo or joint act publicly, and before any collaborator puts money into shared infrastructure like studio blocks, distribution, or a tour deposit. If you are already three songs in and never had the conversation, do it now — retroactive clarity is uncomfortable but always cheaper than a dispute later.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the conversation because "we're friends" — the closest relationships produce the messiest splits when they break.
• Deciding master ownership by who paid for the beat, without discussing performance, writing, and brand contribution.
• Never defining what the project actually is — one song, an EP, a full act, a tour?
• Ignoring exit clauses because no one wants to plan for a breakup on day one.
• Handshaking on "we'll split everything 50/50" without specifying which "everything" — composition, master, show revenue, merch, sync, all of the above?
• Letting one collaborator control every registration (distributor, publisher, PRO metadata) without shared logins or written access rights.
• Waiting to talk about money until after the money exists.

How to use it

1. Sit down with every collaborator in the project. Not managers, not friends — the artists themselves.
2. Read each section aloud and answer every question. If someone shrugs, that is the answer that needs the most attention.
3. Write down every decision in plain language. Do not leave anything as "we'll figure it out."
4. Once the checklist is complete, sign a split sheet for every song already in progress. (See the split sheet template.)
5. Take the completed checklist to an entertainment attorney and have them draft or review the actual collaboration agreement.
6. Store the signed agreement somewhere both parties have access to. Revisit the checklist any time the scope of the project changes.

The blank template

COLLABORATION AGREEMENT CHECKLIST

Project name (working): ________________________________
Collaborators: _________________________________________
Date of this conversation: _____________________________
Location: ______________________________________________

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1. SCOPE
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[ ] Is this one song?                     Y / N
[ ] Is this an EP or album?               Y / N   If yes, # of tracks: ____
[ ] Is this a joint act / duo?            Y / N
[ ] Is this a co-headline tour?           Y / N   Dates: ____________
[ ] Any hard end date for the project?    ________________________
[ ] Can either party do outside work during the project?  Y / N
    Restrictions: __________________________________________________

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2. SONGWRITING & PRODUCTION CREDITS
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[ ] Who is credited as a songwriter on every track? _______________
[ ] Default composition split for songs written together: _________
[ ] Who is credited as producer? _________________________________
[ ] How are co-producer / additional production credits handled? __
[ ] PRO affiliations confirmed for all parties?  Y / N
[ ] Split sheet signed the day of each session?  Y / N

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3. MASTER OWNERSHIP + SPLITS
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[ ] Who owns the master recordings? ______________________________
[ ] If jointly owned — what percentages? _________________________
[ ] Who pays for studio, mixing, mastering? ______________________
[ ] Are those costs recoupable before profit splits?  Y / N
[ ] Is the master owned by an LLC or held personally? ____________

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4. RELEASE STRATEGY
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[ ] Who distributes the music? ___________________________________
[ ] Whose distributor account holds the release? _________________
[ ] Both parties have login access?  Y / N
[ ] Whose label (if any) is the release under? __________________
[ ] Who owns the release metadata / ISRC / UPC registration? ____
[ ] Who controls the release date? _______________________________
[ ] Who controls artwork approvals? ______________________________

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5. FEATURES & GUEST SLOTS
--------------------------------------------------------
[ ] If a third-party feature is added, whose "song" is it? _______
[ ] Who pays the feature fee? ___________________________________
[ ] Are outside features allowed without both parties' approval? Y / N
[ ] Can either collaborator take a feature on someone else's song
    during the project?  Y / N   Approval required?  Y / N

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6. MONEY
--------------------------------------------------------
[ ] Any advances paid to either party? __________________________
[ ] How are streaming royalties split? __________________________
[ ] How are publishing royalties split? _________________________
[ ] How are sync licenses handled — one voice for approvals? Y / N
[ ] Who pays distribution and marketing costs? __________________
[ ] Are those costs recoupable?  Y / N
[ ] Bank account / payment method for shared income: ____________
[ ] Frequency of accounting statements: _________________________

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7. SHOWS & MERCH
--------------------------------------------------------
[ ] Show revenue split: _________________________________________
[ ] Who pays travel, lodging, backline? _________________________
[ ] Merch design, production, and inventory owned by: ___________
[ ] Merch revenue split: ________________________________________
[ ] What happens if only one party performs a show? _____________

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8. CREDITS & PRESENTATION
--------------------------------------------------------
[ ] Artist name order on DSPs: __________________________________
[ ] Press bio — one shared bio or separate? _____________________
[ ] Social media — shared handle, both handles, or separate? ____
[ ] Photo / video approvals — unanimous or majority? ____________
[ ] Interview policy — either party can speak solo?  Y / N

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9. EXIT CLAUSES
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[ ] What happens if one collaborator wants to leave the project?
    _______________________________________________________________
[ ] Does the departing party keep their splits on finished work? Y / N
[ ] Can the remaining party finish and release in-progress work? Y / N
[ ] Can either party use the project name after a split? _______
[ ] Non-disparagement expectations: _____________________________

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10. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
--------------------------------------------------------
[ ] First step for any disagreement: direct conversation.
[ ] Second step: mediation with a neutral third party. Who? _____
[ ] Third step: arbitration or court. Jurisdiction: _____________
[ ] Attorneys' fees — each side pays their own, or loser pays? __

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11. PAPER TRAIL
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[ ] Split sheet signed for every song to date?  Y / N
[ ] This checklist signed and dated by all parties?  Y / N
[ ] Copy of the completed checklist held by every collaborator? Y / N
[ ] Entertainment attorney engaged to draft the actual agreement? Y / N

Signatures:
Signature: __________________________  Print: ______________  Date: __________
Signature: __________________________  Print: ______________  Date: __________
Signature: __________________________  Print: ______________  Date: __________

Completed example

COLLABORATION AGREEMENT CHECKLIST

Project name: "Common Weather" (working) — duo project between
Wren Alcaraz and S. Kimani
Date: 2026-04-02
Location: Kimani's home studio, Brooklyn NY

1. SCOPE
- 6-track EP, targeting Q1 2027 release.
- Duo act — will perform and promote together for the release cycle.
- Each artist can release solo work during the project with 30 days' notice.
- Project ends 12 months after EP release unless both parties renew in writing.

2. SONGWRITING & PRODUCTION CREDITS
- Both artists credited as songwriters on every EP track (default 50/50
  composition on jointly written material; individual split sheets signed
  per session).
- Dax Ohno credited as executive producer on the EP; individual song
  producer credits per split sheet.
- All PRO affiliations confirmed (Alcaraz — BMI; Kimani — ASCAP).

3. MASTER OWNERSHIP + SPLITS
- Masters jointly owned 50/50, held through a new LLC ("Common Weather LLC")
  to be formed within 60 days.
- Studio, mixing, mastering costs paid from a shared account; recoupable
  before profit splits.

4. RELEASE STRATEGY
- Released via Kimani's existing distributor account; Alcaraz has admin
  access. Both parties have login credentials.
- Metadata and ISRCs registered under Common Weather LLC.
- Release date requires both signatures. Artwork requires both approvals.

5. FEATURES & GUEST SLOTS
- Up to two outside features on the EP, both requiring mutual approval.
- Feature fees paid from the shared account.
- Outside features on solo work permitted; approval not required.

6. MONEY
- No advances.
- Streaming, publishing, and sync income split 50/50 after recoupment.
- One shared point of contact for sync approvals (rotating monthly).
- Quarterly accounting statements exchanged.

7. SHOWS & MERCH
- Show revenue split 50/50 after direct show costs.
- Travel and lodging booked from shared account.
- Merch designed jointly; revenue split 50/50 after production costs.
- Solo show by one party is not a Common Weather show; separate accounting.

8. CREDITS & PRESENTATION
- Billed alphabetically: "Alcaraz & Kimani" on DSPs.
- Shared bio for the project; solo bios remain separate.
- Shared @commonweather handle; personal handles unchanged.
- Photo and video approvals require both signatures.

9. EXIT CLAUSES
- If either party leaves, they keep their splits on finished work.
- Remaining party may finish and release any track already recorded.
- Project name reverts to LLC and cannot be used by either party solo
  without written consent.

10. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
- Direct conversation first. Mediation second (mediator to be agreed
  in writing at the time). Arbitration in New York if unresolved.
- Each party pays their own attorney unless the arbitrator rules otherwise.

11. PAPER TRAIL
- Split sheets signed for the two demos already recorded.
- Checklist signed and dated by both parties.
- Attorney engaged to draft the full collaboration agreement.

Signed: Wren Alcaraz, S. Kimani — 2026-04-02

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