PaperFirst
Paper first. Then the record.
“No one can get hurt.”
What PaperFirst is
Two free tools for independent artists, built on the CypherFeed standard. Get your splits in writing, and know exactly which paper is missing before you drop. Everything runs in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere.
PaperFirst is a student app: free for students, free for independent artists, forever. Put it on your home screen like any app — no store, no account, no cost, and it works offline once it's yours.
Open PaperFirst — freeTool 1 — The Split Sheet
Who wrote the song, who owns what share, in writing, signed. A split sheet is the paper every royalty, license, and sync deal stands on. Fill it in, check the count, print it, sign it.
NO SPLIT SHEET, NO SYNC.
Shares must total exactly 100% before the sheet will print.
Tool 2 — The Release Check
Before a record drops, the paper gets checked — item by item, not by vibes. Tick what is truly in hand. The card names what is missing, by name.
1 · Split sheet — signed by every writer
Shares totaling 100%, in writing, signatures in hand. No split sheet, no sync.
2 · Beat license — in writing, paid terms known
The license document itself: type, term, territory, and whether sync is granted.
3 · ISRC — assigned to this master
The recording’s own code, in hand before submission, never reused.
4 · ISWC — the composition’s code
The song itself (not the recording) carries its own number. Track both.
5 · Clean version — delivered with the master
A true clean, edited at the source — radio cannot take the explicit alone.
6 · Credits — locked and spelled right
Performer, writers, producer, publisher: legal names, correct on every surface.
7 · Cover art — final, with the advisory mark
The real cover, explicit flag set, Parental Advisory mark on it where it applies.
8 · Distribution — splits set at the distributor
The recording splits point at the right payees before the money exists, not after.
When every gate is in hand: Release-ready: 8 of 8. Every paper is in hand. Drop it — and count everything that comes back, by name and by number.
One rule
Roster rule, artist rule, one rule: no split sheet, no sync — and every release gets counted, by name and by number.
“No one can get hurt.”
Open PaperFirst — freePaperFirst is a free tool from Sack Boyz Entertainment LLC. It produces document templates and checklists for independent artists. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace an entertainment attorney. Nothing you type into these tools is transmitted, stored, or tracked — the paper is yours.