People as Songwriters in Velveteen
Updated June 11, 2026
Songwriting credits in Velveteen link a person (the composer or lyricist) to a publishing house on a specific track. This is done through the track_publishers table. Each co-writer on a track gets their own row: one person paired with their publishing house.
What a track_publishers row represents
Each row in track_publishers represents one songwriter's publishing credit on a track. The row links:
Composer or lyricist (person)
The person who wrote the song: the composer, lyricist, or both. This is a person record (or free-text fallback via composer_or_lyricist_name) with an IPI number if the songwriter is PRO-registered.
Publishing house
The entity that administers the composition rights for this songwriter's share. For most indie artists, this is a publishing house they created in their own name.
A track with one songwriter has one track_publishers row. A track with three co-writers has three rows: one per songwriter, each linked to their own publishing house.
Tip
Adding a songwriter credit to a track
- 1
Open the track editor
Navigate to the track in your catalog and open the Credits tab. - 2
Add a songwriter
Select "Add songwriter" to create a new track_publishers row. - 3
Search for the person record or type a name
Search for an existing person in your catalog. If they don't have a record, type their name in the composer_or_lyricist_name field. You can link a proper person record later. - 4
Link or name their publishing house
Search for an existing publishing house record. If you don't have one yet, type the name in the publishing_house_name field. The name will be included in the delivery payload.
How IPI flows to DSPs
When a person record is linked in track_publishers, Velveteen includes that person's IPI number in the FUGA delivery payload. DSPs forward this to collection societies, who use the IPI to route mechanical and performance royalties to the correct songwriter. Without an IPI, the royalties may go unmatched.
This is why entering the IPI on a person record matters more for songwriting credits than for any other credit type.
Frequently asked questions
What if I both wrote and performed the song?+
You appear in both places: as a performer in track_performers (instrument or vocal credit) and as a songwriter in track_publishers (composer linked to your publishing house). These are separate credit types and both should be filled in.
Does each co-writer need their own publishing house?+
Each co-writer is linked to their own publishing house: the entity that administers their share of the composition. If two co-writers share a publishing house, each still gets their own track_publishers row, both pointing to the same publishing house record.
What if I don't know a co-writer's name or their publishing house?+
There are two separate fallback fields. If you don't know the songwriter's name, use the free-text composer_or_lyricist_name field. If you don't know their publishing house, use the free-text publishing_house_name field. You can link proper records later when you have the information.
Does the track_publishers row store a composition split percentage?+
No. The track_publishers table records the credit relationship between a songwriter and their publishing house. Composition split percentages are managed separately through your publishing house or PRO. Velveteen delivers the songwriter and publishing house identity to DSPs, not the split breakdown.
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