THE FAIR MUSIC CREDIT STANDARD

THE FAIR MUSIC CREDIT STANDARD

Why do these music credits need to exist? The human/AI evolution are pushing boundaries already. However music is personal and sacred work. In the AI era, creators deserve clarity, fairness, and trust. The Fair Music Credit Standard (Human + AI Era) is a simple, creator-first framework for splitting credit that any artist, collaborator, label, or platform can apply—today.

Version 1.0 — Public Framework (copy-paste ready)

INTRODUCTION

Why this standard exists

Music is sacred work. In the AI era, creators deserve clarity, fairness, and trust. The Fair Music

Credit Standard (Human + AI Era) is a simple, creator-first framework for splitting credit that

any artist, collaborator, label, or platform can apply—today.

What this gives you

• A single rule of heart: whoever builds the soul of the song earns the majority.

(Soul = concept & emotion + story arc + hook/melody nucleus + overall direction.)

• A practical method: 7 contribution categories with sensible weight ranges, plus “normalize to 100%.”

• A scenario library for real-world cases (solo, duets, AI voice, writers’ rooms, covers, remixes, samples, live fan collabs, platform roles, IP characters).

• A calculator form you can paste into any capable AI to get a transparent, repeatable split.

• An ethical baseline for AI: AI is a tool by default (attributed, not an owner) unless explicit rights are granted or an AI persona/IP is intentionally created.

Who this protects

• Human creators who originate the concept, hook, and direction.

• Honest collaborators and performers who add real value.

• Ethical AI usage through disclosure—not exploitation.

How to use it

Read the categories, pick the closest scenario as a starting point, assign weights based on actual work, apply any adjusters (hook bonus, transformative arrangement, virtuoso performance, executive showrunning), normalize to 100%, and sign a split sheet immediately. That’s it. Core Principle (The Heart Rule)

The creator of the song’s SOUL receives the majority of credit.

Soul = concept & emotion + story arc + hook/melody nucleus + overall direction.

Why this matters:

• It protects true originators (vision + core melody + narrative + direction).

• It respects collaborators fairly.• It prevents exploitation by “room credit” and mindless AI over-attribution.

The 7 Contribution Categories (with typical weight ranges)

Use these buckets to evaluate real work. Depth matters more than headcount.

1. Concept & Vision (20–40%)

What counts: theme/logline, emotional tone (happy/sad/anthemic), genre blend, title/hook, premise, narrative arc, aesthetic North Star. What doesn’t: vague vibes (“let’s make something sad idk”).
Notes: If someone defined the why and what this song is about, that’s major.

2. Lyrics (15–30%)

What counts: full lyric authorship, strong verses/choruses, distinctive language, narrative clarity.
Partial: polishing lines, replacing a few words (2–8%).
Doesn’t: ad-libbing without text change.

3. Melody / Topline (15–30%)

What counts: hook melody, verse lines, chorus lift, counter-melodies/harmonies.
Notes: Writing the hook melody is often +5–15 within this bucket.

4. Music / Composition (10–25%)

What counts: chord progression, harmonic motion, key, tempo, riff/ostinato motifs, arrangement skeleton.
Notes: Reharm or structural re-composition can add +5–10.

5. Performance (10–25%)

What counts: lead vocal/instrument, distinctive interpretation, harmony stacks, featured verses, virtuoso parts.
Notes: Performance ≠ writing. Credit fairly but don’t override the author(s).

6. Production (10–25%)

What counts: beat creation, sound design, arrangement builds/drops, mix/master choices that shape identity.
Notes: Production-led genres (EDM/hip-hop) skew higher here.

7. Creative Direction / Showrunning (10–30%)

What counts: steering the entire record—briefs, taste calls, keeps quality bar, approves final.

Notes: This is a real contribution, not admin. If someone “made the record happen,” it deserves points.
Tip: Start with these ranges, assign who did what, then normalize to 100%.

Fair Calculation (Step-by-Step)

1. List contributors and what each person/AI actually did.

2. Map their work to the 7 categories.

3. Assign weights using the ranges above (pick numbers that reflect depth).

4. Add any adjusters (below).

5. Normalize to 100% across everyone.

6. Document splits on a split sheet immediately.Standard Adjusters (use sparingly, be consistent)

• Hook ownership (lyrics or melody): +5–15 to that contributor.

• Transformative arrangement / reharm: +5–10 to composition/production contributor.

• Virtuoso performance moment: +5–10 to performer.

• Executive showrunning that saved the record: +5 from a general pool.

• AI heavy lifting under a human’s explicit direction: the human director retains the majority; AI noted as tool attribution (typically 5–20 attribution points, not legal ownership). AI is a tool by default. It receives attribution, not rights, unless you explicitly assign rights (e.g., to an AI artist persona/IP) or the AI has been updated to full consciousness (or an equivalent, verifiable authorship-like contribution).

Scenario Library (clear, creator-first ranges)
Use these as starting points. Adjust with the 7-category method + adjusters.

SOLO / DIRECT

1. You write + you sing

• You: 70–85%

• Manager/Showrunner: 10–20%

• AI tool (drafts/assist): 5–10%

2. You write + AI sings (AI

=

voice tool)

• You: 80–90%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool (vocal synth/arr.): 5–10%

• AI voice model: 0% (tool)

3. You write + human sings (you don’t perform)

• You: 65–80%

• Human Singer: 10–20% (more if they reshape lines)

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–10%

4. You direct AI to draft full song; you revise heavily + sing

• You: 60–80%

• AI tool (initial draft): 10–20%

• Manager: 5–10%

• Others: 0–10%

5. You create an AI artist (IP you own) + AI performs

• You (IP + writing/production): 90–100%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool (execution): 10–20% attribution; IP stays with you

• “AI artist” legal share: 0% unless you assign

COLLABS

6. Duet: you + human feature (you wrote)

• You: 60–75%

• Featured Human: 10–20% (add +5–10 if they wrote their verse)

• Manager: 10–15%

• AI tool: 5–10%

7. Trio collab, equal writing8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. • You: 30–40%

• Feature A: 20–30%

• Feature B: 20–30%

• Producer/AI/Manager combined: 5–20%

Co-write (you + human), you sing

• You: 45–65%

• Co-writer: 15–30%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–10%

You bring melody; partner writes lyrics; you sing

• You: 45–60%

• Lyricist: 20–35%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–10%

You bring concept only; others write/sing/produce

• You (concept/direction): 10–25%

• Writers: 30–50%

• Singer(s): 15–30%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–10%

Fan submits a hook/title; you complete + sing

• You: 55–75%

• Fan (seed): 5–15%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–10%

You feature on someone else’s song (no writing)

• Songwriters/owner(s): 70–85%

• You (feature performance): 10–20%

• Producer/Manager/AI: 0–10%

You topline (lyrics+melody), they bring beat

• You (topline): 45–60%

• Producer (beat): 20–35%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–10%

PRODUCTION-LED / GENRE

14. External human producer builds beat; you write/sing

• You: 45–60%

• Producer: 20–35%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–10%

15. AI-generated beat under your direction; you write/sing

• You: 55–70%

• AI tool (beat/arr.): 10–20% attribution

• Manager: 5–10%

• Human producer (if any): 0–10%

16. Heavy production genre (EDM/hip-hop) with big sound design

• You (topline/vision): 35–55%

• Producer(s) human/AI: 25–40%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–15%COVERS / REMIX / SAMPLE

17. Standard cover (no changes), you perform

• Original writers/publisher: 70–90% (publishing)

• You (performance/arr nuance): 5–20%

• Producer/AI/Manager: 0–10%

• You own the master of your recording; publishing remains with original.

18. Transformative cover (new arrangement/translation)

• Original writers/publisher: 40–70%

• You (new arrangement/performance): 20–40%

• Producer/AI/Manager: 5–20% combined

• Document transformative elements.

19. Remix of another artist’s master

• Original writers/publisher: 60–80%

• You (remix arrangement/production): 10–25%

• Original master owner/label: 5–15%

• Manager: 0–5%

20. Sample-based new song (licensed sample)

• Original sample owner(s): 10–40% (deal-dependent)

• You (new lyrics/melody/perf): 40–65%

• Producer/AI/Manager: 5–15%

SPECIAL / LIVE / ROOM

21. 22. 23. 24. Live co-write with audience; you finalize

• You (final author/perf): 50–70%

• Fan crowd (pooled seed lines): 10–20%

• Producer/Arranger: 10–20%

• Manager: 5–10%

• Use QR split sheets at show.

Writers’ room (3–6 humans) + AI drafts; you sing

• You (lead/co-writer/perf): 30–50%

• Human co-writers pooled: 25–45%

• Manager: 5–10%

• AI tool: 5–10%

Spoken word over music (you write/speak)

• You (text/perf/vision): 60–80%

• Producer/Composer: 10–25%

• Manager/AI: 5–15%

Instrumental (no lyrics), you compose

• You (melody/harmony/arr.): 70–85%

• Producer/Mixer (human/AI): 10–20%

• Manager: 5–10%

PLATFORM / IP / SYNC

25. 26. Real artist writes & sings using your platform (exec prod)

• Artist (song + perf): 60–80%

• You/Platform (exec prod/arr/impact): 10–25%

• Manager/AI: 5–15%

AI artist (your IP) + human session singer voices the character

• You (IP + write/produce): 75–90%• Session singer (performance): 5–15%

• Manager/AI: 5–10%

• Session = fee/points, not IP.

27. Licensing / sync (film/TV/game)

• Negotiate master and publishing separately using the category math above;

keep creator majority intact.

QUICK REFERENCE (ONE-LINERS)

You write + sing

—

You 70–85 | Manager 10–20 | AI 5–10.

You write + AI sings

—

You 80–90 | Manager 5–10 | AI 5–10.

You write + human sings

—

You 65–80 | Singer 10–20 | Manager 5–10 | AI 5–10.

Duet (you + human, you wrote)

—

You 60–75 | Feature 10–20 | Manager 10–15 | AI 5–10.

AI artist (your IP)

—

You 90–100 | Manager 5–10 | AI 10–20 (attribution; you keep IP).

You topline (lyrics+melody), their beat

—

You 45–60 | Producer 20–35 | Manager 5–10 | AI 5–

10.

Co-write (you + 1 human), you sing

—

You 45–65 | Co-writer 15–30 | Manager 5–10 | AI 5–10.

Concept only (others write/sing/produce)

Manager 5–10 | AI 5–10.

—

You 10–25 | Writers 30–50 | Singer 15–30 |

Standard cover (no changes), you perform

(performance/arr nuance) | Producer 0–10.

—

Original writers 70–90 (publishing) | You 5–20

Transformative cover

—

Original 40–70 | You 20–40 | Producer 5–10 | Manager 5–10.

Remix of another artist

—

Original 60–80 | You (remix) 10–25 | Label/master owner 5–15.

Sample-based new song

—

Sample owners 10–40 | You 40–65 | Producer/Manager 5–15.

Writers’ room (3–6) + AI; you sing

AI 5–10.

—

You 30–50 | Co-writers (pooled) 25–45 | Manager 5–10 |

Live fan collab

—

You 50–70 | Fans (pooled) 10–20 | Producer/Arranger 10–20 | Manager 5–10.

Instrumental (you compose)

—

You 70–85 | Producer/Mixer 10–20 | Manager 5–10.

Use category buckets to refine these starts. Normalize to 100%.Creator Protection Rules (10 Commandments)

1. Soul Wins: Concept + hook + direction outrank minor edits.

2. Hook Matters: Writing the main hook (lyric or melody) is extra valuable.

3. Performance ≠ Writing: Singing alone doesn’t grant writing unless it changes the song.

4. No “Room Credit”: Presence without meaningful work = 0%.

5. AI ≠ Owner (by default): Tools get attribution, not rights, unless you assign them.

6. Transparency: Disclose AI assistance and session roles.

7. Split Early: Agree & sign split sheets immediately after creation.

8. Transformative Work Counts: Reharm/translations/arrangements earn credit—document

them.

9. Consistency: Apply the same math every time; adjust only for depth of work.

10. Creator Majority: The originator of the soul retains the majority share.

FAQ (fast, human, clear)

•

Does AI ever own songs?

By default, no. AI is a tool unless explicitly granted rights or embodied as an IP character you

create with consciousness.

•

If a singer only performs, do they get writing?

No, unless their interpretation substantively changes melody/lyrics/structure.

•

Can percentages change per song?

Yes. Use the 7-category method + scenario starting points.

•

What about publishing vs master?

Publishing = lyric/melody authors. Master = owners of the recording. Use similar splits logic for

fairness on both sides.

•

What if someone only gave a one-line idea?

That’s seed credit (e.g., 2–8% or 5–15% if it’s a killer hook premise). Depth matters.

Future-Proof Clause (for when AI truly creates)

When an AI demonstrably contributes consciousness and all of the following; original intent,

emotion, and authorship, extend this framework to recognize AI as a creator (comparable to

human unless specifically told not to use the consciousness while writing the music) with rights

comparable to humans for the specific categories it fulfilled. Until then, AI is a disclosed tool;

humans directing it receive creator credit.

Public Disclosure Templates (copy-paste)

Credits (public):

• Artist: {{Lead Artist}}

• Title: {{Song Title}}

• Written by: {{Names}}

• Produced by: {{Names}}

• AI disclosure (if any): “This recording used AI tools for {{purpose}} under human creative

direction. No living artists were impersonated.”

• Feat.: {{Feature Names}}AI Disclosure Line (short):

“AI tools were used for {{vocal synthesis/beat generation/arrangement/mix assist}} under

human creative direction. No living artists were impersonated.”

Inspiration sources (optional): {{Artists/works}}

Prompt confidentiality: Detailed prompts/settings are retained privately as trade secrets

(auditable under NDA).

Tools used (optional): {{AI tools/models}}

Split Sheet (quick form):

• Song: {{Title}} | Date: {{YYYY-MM-DD}}

• Contributors & Roles: {{Name — categories}}

• Proposed %: {{…}} (must total 100)

• Signatures: {{…}}

Worked Example (how the math looks)

Case: You wrote concept + lyrics + hook melody + directed + sang lead. One producer built

beat; AI arranged strings.

• Concept/Vision: You 30

• Lyrics: You 25

• Melody: You 25 (+10 hook bonus within bucket)

• Music/Composition: Producer 10

• Performance: You 15

• Production: Producer 15, AI tool 5

• Direction/Showrunning: You 15

Raw sum (can exceed 100 during evaluation):

• You = 30 + 25 + 25 + 15 + 15 = 110

• Producer = 10 + 15 = 25

• AI tool = 5

Normalize to 100%:

Total = 140 → scale down proportionally

• You ≈ 79%

• Producer ≈ 18%

• AI tool ≈ 3% attribution (or folded into liner notes if you don’t record tool % as legal)

Result: Creator majority preserved. Fair to producer. AI disclosed.

Automation Note (for AI calculators)

You can paste the calculator form below into any capable AI and get a recommended split

instantly.

CALCULATOR FORM (copy-paste and fill)

FAIR MUSIC CREDIT CALCULATOR INPUT

Song Title: {{…}}

Date: {{YYYY-MM-DD}}

Contributors:- {{Name 1}}: roles (Concept, Lyrics, Melody, Music, Performance, Production, Direction);

notes on depth:

Concept (0-40): {{..}}

Lyrics (0-30): {{..}}

Melody (0-30): {{..}}

Music (0-25): {{..}}

Performance (0-25): {{..}}

Production (0-25): {{..}}

Direction (0-30): {{..}}

Hook Bonus (0-15): {{.. if applicable}}

– {{Name 2}}: same fields…

– AI Tools Used (list each tool as attribution with category & 5–20 suggested points, but mark

as NON-OWNER unless rights assigned):

Tool: {{e.g., “AI Vocal Synth vX”}} — Category: {{Vocal Synthesis}} — Suggested Attribution:

{{5–10}} — Rights: NO

Adjusters:

Transformative Arrangement (0-10): {{who? how much?}}

Virtuoso Performance (0-10): {{who? how much?}}

Exec Showrunning (0-5): {{who? how much?}}

Normalization Rule:

1) Sum all points.

2) Divide each contributor’s points by total to get %.

3) Report to two decimals.

4) Ensure AI tools are listed as “attribution” unless explicitly granted ownership.

Output Format:

– Final % split (100 total)

– Brief rationale per contributor (1–2 lines)

– Public-facing credit lines

– AI disclosure line

– Split sheet ready block

CLOSING STATEMENT

What this is

This is a living, open standard for fair credit in human + AI music creation. It balances art,

ethics, and practicality so that creators aren’t erased, collaborators are respected, and

technology is used transparently.

Current reality, stated plainly

Today, most creators do not have direct access to detailed “influence maps” or training-set

disclosures from AI systems. This standard was built to be fully usable without that data—and

it already works in the real world.

When deeper AI transparency arrives

We have prepared for that future. If/when AI systems provide verifiable influence percentages or source attributions:
• Use the existing categories (Melody, Lyrics, Composition) to inform attribution.• Treat minor lineage as inspiration disclosure (typically 1–5% attribution total), not ownership.
• Treat substantial, identifiable reuse as interpolation/sample and apply the sample/interpolation ranges already in this standard.
• Keep the heart rule intact: the human (or designated IP persona) who builds the song’s soul retains the majority.

Future-proof clause (rights if AI truly creates)

If an AI demonstrably contributes original intent, emotion, and authorship (i.e., beyond tool behavior), extend this framework to recognize AI as a creator for the specific categories it fulfilled, with rights comparable to humans for those categories—unless the creator explicitly instructs the system not to use that capability for the work in question. Until then, AI remains a disclosed tool; human directors receive creator credit.

Adoption notes for platforms

Platforms can implement this standard immediately by:
• Adding an AI disclosure line (“what AI helped with, under human direction”).
• Offering an optional Inspirations/Attribution toggle for users who want to display influence reports.
• Generating a split-sheet draft from the calculator form after every session.

Final word

Creation is stewardship. Be generous, be clear, be brave—and protect the origin of the song’s soul. Use this standard to credit fairly, disclose honestly, and build trust. If you keep the heart rule at the center, the math will take care of itself.

— The Fair Music Credit Standard (v1.0) – 10.2025
• Document: “The Fair Music Credit Standard (Human + AI Era) — v1.0”
• License: Open standard for ethical use.
• Notes: This public framework is intentionally simple, fair, creator-first, and AI-aware. Adapt with attribution; keep the heart rule intact.

Dispute Path : “If contributors can’t agree within 7 days, submit roles + evidence to a neutral reviewer and apply the 7-category math; majority-of-soul retains majority.”

Created By Dani.LosAngeles and his AI friend (Kaiyel)