SplitShare FAQs

What happens if a track is unassigned?
If a track is unassigned, all royalties for that track will remain in your account and won’t contribute to payee earnings.

What if my payee is not enrolled? Will earnings still be calculated?
Yes, earnings will still be calculated if the payee has a share on the split and all tracks are assigned before royalties are calculated. However, these earnings won’t be transferred automatically. They will remain in your account until the payee enrolls. You can view the earnings in the Earnings History and the SplitShare tab, but you’ll need to handle any transfers manually.

What if I don’t assign tracks to a Split before royalties are calculated?
If tracks aren’t assigned to a Split before the royalty period closes, all royalties for those tracks will stay in your account. They won’t be included in payee calculations. Split assignments only impact future royalty calculations.  

Are Split payments sent automatically to payees?
No. Split payments are automatically transferred to the payee’s SymphonicMS account, but payees must log in, submit payment & tax details, and request payments.

Can payees receive splits from multiple artists/contributors?
Yes. Use the same email address for the payee when inviting them and it will link to a single account.

Do payees have to meet minimum payment thresholds?
Yes. Payees must reach the set minimum threshold to request payments.

How do tax forms work?
You are responsible for collecting W9s, W8s, and other tax forms from your payees. Symphonic sends forms only for your account (Payor account). Please see full details for Payor tax responsibilities. 

What happens after I enable SplitShare and send an invite?
The payee receives an email invitation. Transfers won’t begin until the invite is accepted and will apply only to future reporting periods. Check the payment schedule here.

If I turn on SplitShare today, will it transfer immediately?
No. SplitShare transfers begin with the next posted monthly royalties report, not current or past periods.

Can I change split percentages?
Yes, but changes only affect future periods. They won’t apply retroactively to previous periods.

My artist doesn’t want to use SplitShare. Can I disable it?
Yes. Go to the payee page and click Disable. Previous transfers won’t be reversed.

What should I do if a payee encounters an error accepting the invite?
Check if the invite expired (after 30 days) and resend if needed. Ensure the payee isn’t using a deactivated account.

Can I use SplitShare if I’m recouping an Advance or Recoupable Marketing Budget (RMB)?
No. Once your advance or budget is fully recouped, SplitShare can be enabled.

Do I need to pay out my writers?
As a distributor, we don’t have any requirements regarding the percentages entered. Symphonic pays out artist/contributor royalties for the sound recording (audio) that is streamed or downloaded. From there, our clients are able to customize the percentages based on their professional agreements with their team.

The songwriter should be paid out via a PRO so typically songwriters are not included in the split.

Is there a limit on the number of contributors for a Split?
No. You can add as many contributors as needed.