Before you hand over a beat
Six steps so your work is not released without a contract. They are for producers, songwriters and anyone who shares a work before the deal is closed.
Register the work before you send it
In the United States, if someone starts using an unpublished work before you register it, the law does not let you recover statutory damages or attorney's fees for that infringement (17 U.S.C. § 412). Without them, suing can cost more than you recover.
Registration is done online at the U.S. Copyright Office. Do it before the file leaves your computer.
Say in writing what you are handing it over for
Someone recording over your beat does not mean they can release it. Say so in the same message in which you send the file.
“I'm sending you this beat to try out. Releasing it requires a contract signed with me.”
Ask for the contract before the release
After the release you are no longer negotiating; you are making a claim. If the release date is getting close and the contract has not arrived, say so in writing, with the date.
Sign the split sheet, but don't mistake it for a contract
A split sheet says what percentage of the composition each writer holds. Authorization to release a recording is given in a contract with whoever releases it. Ask for both documents and check who signs each one.
Keep the originals
The dated file, the production session and the messages in which you sent it. If one day you have to prove the work already existed, that is what counts.
Ask for royalty statements in writing
If your contract sets dates for accounting, write them down. When a date passes without a statement, ask for it in writing at the address the contract gives.
This guide tells what I learned in a case of my own. It is not legal advice. Laws vary by country, and for a specific contract or claim you need a lawyer.