Musician Credits Explained
How songwriter, performer, and group credits work in the music industry — and how to explore them on Credits.fm.
Search any musician — Find any artist, songwriter, or band and explore their complete credit catalog.
Search MusiciansWhat is a musician profile?
A musician profile on Credits.fm is a comprehensive view of an artist's entire music catalog. It shows every recording they performed on, every song they wrote, their group memberships, discography, collaborators, and industry identifiers like IPI codes and ISNI identifiers.
Credits.fm aggregates data from the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) for songwriter ownership data and MusicBrainz (CC0) for recording metadata, group memberships, and artist relationships. The result is a unified view that combines information typically scattered across multiple databases.
Songwriter vs performer credits
Music credits fall into two main categories: songwriter credits and performer credits. Understanding the difference is essential for anyone in the music industry.
| Credit Type | What It Means | Royalty Type |
|---|---|---|
| Songwriter | Composed, wrote lyrics, or arranged the musical work | Publishing / mechanical royalties |
| Performer | Performed on the specific recording | Master recording royalties |
Many artists hold both credits — a singer-songwriter who writes and records their own songs appears as both songwriter and performer on Credits.fm.
Songwriter roles explained
Songwriter credits include specific roles that indicate what the person contributed:
Wrote the music or melody
Wrote the lyrics (also called Lyricist)
Wrote both the music and lyrics
Created a new arrangement of an existing work
Group memberships and inherited credits
When a musician is a member of a group (like a band), Credits.fm shows the connection between the individual and their groups. On an individual's profile, you'll see:
- Groups section — All groups the musician belongs to, with links to the group's page
- “via [Group]” credits — Recordings where the musician is credited through their group membership, tagged so you can see the source
- Filter chips — Filter credits by “Songwriter”, “Performer”, or by specific group names
- Related Musicians — Other members of the same groups, for easy navigation
On a group's profile, you'll see a Members section listing all known members with links to their individual profiles, plus the group's collective discography and credits.
Share percentages
Songwriter credits on Credits.fm often include a share percentage showing what portion of the songwriting royalties each person receives. These percentages come from the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), which manages mechanical royalties for interactive streaming in the United States.
A recording with two equal co-writers would typically show 50% for each. In practice, shares can be complex — a song might have 6+ writers with varying percentages, and publisher shares are tracked separately from writer shares.
Music identifiers on profiles
Musician profiles display industry identifiers when available:
Frequently asked questions
What is a musician profile on Credits.fm?
A musician profile on Credits.fm is a free, public page that aggregates all known credits for an artist — including songwriter credits, performer credits, group memberships, discography, IPI codes, and ISNI identifiers. Data is sourced from the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) and MusicBrainz (CC0).
What is the difference between a songwriter and a performer credit?
A songwriter credit means the person composed, wrote lyrics for, or arranged the underlying musical work (the song itself). A performer credit means the person performed on a specific recording of that song. One person can hold both credits — for example, a singer-songwriter who writes and records their own songs.
How do group credits work?
When a musician is a member of a group (like a band), Credits.fm shows credits from both their solo work and their group work. Group-sourced credits are tagged "via [Group Name]" so you can see which recordings came through which group. You can filter credits by group using the filter chips on the profile page.
What are songwriter roles like Composer, Author, and Arranger?
Songwriter credits include specific roles: Composer writes the music/melody, Author (or Lyricist) writes the lyrics, ComposerLyricist writes both, and Arranger creates a new arrangement of an existing work. These roles come from the MLC and determine how royalties are split.
What is a share percentage on a songwriter credit?
The share percentage shows what portion of the songwriting royalties a particular songwriter receives for a recording. For example, if two songwriters co-wrote a song equally, each would have a 50% share. Shares are reported by the MLC and may not always total exactly 100% due to complex publishing arrangements.
How do I find who wrote a specific song?
Search for the song by title or ISRC code on Credits.fm. The recording page shows all credited songwriters with their roles and share percentages. You can also search by artist name to find their complete songwriter catalog.
What is an IPI code on a musician profile?
An IPI (Interested Parties Information) code is a unique identifier assigned to songwriters and publishers by performing rights organizations. It connects a person to their musical works across all territories and platforms. Credits.fm displays IPI codes on musician profiles when available.
Can I find members of a band on Credits.fm?
Yes. Group pages on Credits.fm list all known members sourced from MusicBrainz. Each member links to their individual profile where you can explore their solo credits, other group memberships, and full discography.
Try it yourself
Search for any artist, songwriter, or band in our free database:
Key terms
- Songwriter credit
- A credit indicating that a person composed, wrote lyrics for, or arranged the underlying musical composition. Songwriter credits determine publishing and mechanical royalty splits.
- Performer credit
- A credit indicating that a person performed on a specific sound recording. Performer credits are tied to master recording rights and neighboring rights royalties.
- Share percentage
- The portion of songwriting royalties allocated to a particular writer or publisher for a given work. Reported by the MLC and other collection societies.
- Group membership
- A relationship linking an individual musician to a band or ensemble. Credits.fm shows which recordings an individual contributed to through their group affiliations.
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