Writer Roles & IPI
Writer roles and IPI values are collaborator data used in registration-oriented exports. Review them with the relevant parties before submitting an export to a third party.
What Is a Writer Role?
Section titled “What Is a Writer Role?”A writer role tells a PRO what a person contributed to a musical work. In the eyes of a PRO, you’re either the person who wrote the music, the person who wrote the lyrics, both, or someone who arranged an existing work.
When you open the Writer Roles panel, you’ll see four role options:
- Composer — The person who wrote the music. PRO code: C
- Lyricist — The person who wrote the lyrics. PRO code: A
- Composer-Author — Someone who did both. PRO code: CA
- Arranger — Someone who arranged an existing composition. PRO code: AR
New collaborators default to Composer-Author (CA). Select the role that reflects the contributor’s recorded information.
What Is an IPI Number?
Section titled “What Is an IPI Number?”An IPI/CAE value is a 9–11 digit identifier. Leading zeros are significant; letters and special characters are not accepted.
Assigning Writer Roles
Section titled “Assigning Writer Roles”To assign a writer role to a collaborator:
- Select the track in your grid
- Open the Collaborators section in the activity panel
- Find the collaborator you want to edit
- Click the role dropdown and select the appropriate role
The role you select determines how that person’s split appears on export documents. A lyricist gets credited as the lyricist (A), while a composer/author gets credited as both (CA).
IPI in Exports
Section titled “IPI in Exports”Exports use the collaborator and publisher information available for the chosen scope. An IPI is a registration field where the recipient requires it; this help article does not define a separate global IPI editor or require every collaborator to have one before an export can be generated.
Why This Matters for Split Sheets
Section titled “Why This Matters for Split Sheets”Split sheets are the backbone of proper royalty distribution. When you export a split sheet, the document needs to clearly show:
- Who wrote the work
- What they contributed (their role)
- How much they own (their percentage)
- Who gets paid and where (their PRO and IPI)
Verify the values against the recipient’s requirements. The Library exports configured data; it does not make legal or royalty-routing guarantees.
Writer Role Codes Reference
Section titled “Writer Role Codes Reference”Here’s a quick reference for how writer roles map to PRO codes:
| Role | PRO Code | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| Composer | C | Wrote the music only |
| Lyricist | A | Wrote the lyrics only |
| Composer-Author | CA | Wrote both music and lyrics |
| Arranger | AR | Arranged an existing composition |
Related
Section titled “Related”- Split Sheets — Export collaborative split sheets in multiple formats
- Track Metadata — Manage track details like ISWC, ISRC, duration, and language