Collaborate with Public Worship
Public Worship works with songwriters, artists, producers, musicians, and engineers across many sessions. The terms that apply to you depend on what you contributed and where the song is in our process. Pick the situation that fits and we'll walk you through what to expect.
For the canonical, long-form policy, see /music-policy.
Two things to know before you start
- Public Worship is a volunteer-run initiative of Global Echo Charitable Co., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. No one on the team draws a salary. When we talk about "Public Worship's share," it goes back into the next song, the next gathering, equipment, and the mission — not into anyone's pocket.
- Cash isn't always available — equity, donation, and declining always are. We're early-stage and don't always have cash to pay every contributor at full rate. We'll tell you exactly what's available for your role on a release before you choose a path.
Where are you?
Pick whichever fits best. You can always go back or start over.
What was your role on the release?
The song is greenlit. Pick what you contributed. If you contributed in more than one role (e.g., produced and wrote), pick "Multiple roles" at the bottom and we'll talk through the combined picture.
You're the primary artist on a greenlit release
You're the named artist of the release — the voice and identity we're building this song around. Your role spans more than the recording itself: writing, rollout, ongoing relationship.
What you'll receive:
- Primary artist credit on the release.
- Your full writer share on anything you wrote (Public Worship takes 0% of writer share).
- Your share of the publisher pool that flows to writers.
- 15 master points (15% of net master income) per release as the Primary Artist baseline, granted automatically under the Primary Artist Agreement (see §10).
- Additional points for any other roles you take on the same release — writing, producing, vocal producing, playing — under the four paths in the rate sheet, on top of the 15-point baseline.
- Cash fee or honorarium where the release budget allows. We'll tell you what's funded for your role on this specific release before you choose a path.
- Ongoing collaboration — your relationship with us isn't a one-song contract.
What you won't receive:
- Master ownership. Public Worship owns 100% of the official master. See §9 for why.
- Exclusive rights over your career. You remain free to release your own music, sign your own deals, and work outside Public Worship.
If you leave on good terms later: your existing master income participation on existing releases continues. The catalog stays with Public Worship; what you earned stays with you.
What happens next: a Primary Artist agreement is signed before the release. It names the specific releases covered, your participation tier, what we'll do for you in terms of platform support, and the off-ramp.
You're a featured artist on a greenlit release
You're prominently featured on this specific release — credit reads Public Worship feat. [you] or similar — but you're not entering a long-term primary-artist relationship.
What you'll receive:
- Featured artist credit on the release.
- Your writer share on anything you wrote (Public Worship takes 0%).
- Your share of the publisher pool that flows to writers.
- One of the four paths for your performance/feature contribution: cash fee, master income participation, donation, or decline (see below).
Rate sheet: featured vocalist — $300 cash or 3% master income participation, per song.
Your four paths
- Cash fee at the published rate. Available when funded for this specific release — we'll tell you what's funded before you choose.
- Master income participation at the published equity rate, in lieu of cash. Always available, paid from net master income over time.
- In-kind donation through Global Echo Charitable Co. (Public Worship's 501(c)(3) parent). Always available. (Note: under IRS rules, the value of donated services isn't deductible — only out-of-pocket expenses and tangible property donated.)
- Decline the release. Always honored; doesn't affect future invitations.
The full picture is in the policy .
You wrote on a greenlit release
You contributed to lyrics, melody, or composition. The writer share is yours.
What you'll receive:
- Your portion of the writer share, per the agreed split sheet. Public Worship takes 0% of writer share.
- Your portion of the publisher pool that flows to writers — 50% of the publisher share is split among writers according to writer splits.
- Performance and mechanical royalties as a registered writer (we'll help with PRO and CCLI registration).
Important note on producing/playing vs. writing: production, mixing, engineering, and performance are honored contributions, but they don't enter the writer share unless you also contributed to lyrics, melody, or composition.
Cover and re-recording: as a writer, you may have rights connected to the composition for separate covers or re-records. The official Public Worship master remains owned and controlled by Public Worship. Talk to us first to clear any separate release.
What happens next: a split sheet is signed before the song is released. No release goes out with unresolved writer splits.
You produced on a greenlit release
Lead, co-producer, or vocal producer. Production is a major contribution and you have a real path here.
Rate sheet:
- Lead producer (full song): $500 cash or 5% equity
- Co-producer: $250 cash or 2% equity
- Vocal producer: $250 cash or 2% equity
Production vs. songwriting: producing alone doesn't grant songwriting ownership. If you also contributed to lyrics, melody, or composition, you're on the writer split too.
Your four paths
- Cash fee at the published rate. Available when funded for this specific release — we'll tell you what's funded before you choose.
- Master income participation at the published equity rate, in lieu of cash. Always available, paid from net master income over time.
- In-kind donation through Global Echo Charitable Co. (Public Worship's 501(c)(3) parent). Always available. (Note: under IRS rules, the value of donated services isn't deductible — only out-of-pocket expenses and tangible property donated.)
- Decline the release. Always honored; doesn't affect future invitations.
The full picture is in the policy .
A note on production credits: you'll be credited as producer on the release regardless of which path you take. Credit is not a path; it's owed.
You engineered on a greenlit release
Tracking, mixing, or mastering. Each is a distinct role with its own rate.
Rate sheet:
- Recording engineer (tracking): $200 cash or 1.5% equity
- Mix engineer: $400 cash or 3% equity
- Mastering engineer: $125 cash or 0.75% equity
Engineering vs. songwriting: engineering is honored as a contribution but doesn't grant songwriting ownership unless you also contributed to lyrics, melody, or composition.
Your four paths
- Cash fee at the published rate. Available when funded for this specific release — we'll tell you what's funded before you choose.
- Master income participation at the published equity rate, in lieu of cash. Always available, paid from net master income over time.
- In-kind donation through Global Echo Charitable Co. (Public Worship's 501(c)(3) parent). Always available. (Note: under IRS rules, the value of donated services isn't deductible — only out-of-pocket expenses and tangible property donated.)
- Decline the release. Always honored; doesn't affect future invitations.
The full picture is in the policy .
You sang on a greenlit release
This page is for background vocalists and session vocal performers. If you're the named featured vocalist, .
Rate sheet: background vocalist — $125 cash or 0.75% equity, per song. Covers all stacks recorded in one session for that song.
Performing vs. songwriting: performing on the recording doesn't grant songwriting ownership unless you also contributed to lyrics, melody, or composition.
Your four paths
- Cash fee at the published rate. Available when funded for this specific release — we'll tell you what's funded before you choose.
- Master income participation at the published equity rate, in lieu of cash. Always available, paid from net master income over time.
- In-kind donation through Global Echo Charitable Co. (Public Worship's 501(c)(3) parent). Always available. (Note: under IRS rules, the value of donated services isn't deductible — only out-of-pocket expenses and tangible property donated.)
- Decline the release. Always honored; doesn't affect future invitations.
The full picture is in the policy .
You played an instrument on a greenlit release
Per-instrument, per-song rate. If you played multiple instruments on the same song, that's a per-instrument rate each.
Rate sheet: session instrumentalist — $125 cash or 0.75% equity, per song, per instrument.
Playing vs. songwriting: playing on the recording doesn't grant songwriting ownership unless you also contributed to lyrics, melody, or composition.
Your four paths
- Cash fee at the published rate. Available when funded for this specific release — we'll tell you what's funded before you choose.
- Master income participation at the published equity rate, in lieu of cash. Always available, paid from net master income over time.
- In-kind donation through Global Echo Charitable Co. (Public Worship's 501(c)(3) parent). Always available. (Note: under IRS rules, the value of donated services isn't deductible — only out-of-pocket expenses and tangible property donated.)
- Decline the release. Always honored; doesn't affect future invitations.
The full picture is in the policy .
Let's talk it through
Multiple roles or a situation that doesn't fit a single bucket — that's normal. Producers who also write, primary artists who also play multiple instruments, engineers who also mix and master.
Each role's compensation is tracked separately on the rate sheet, so the picture compounds — but it's also worth a conversation to make sure nothing is missed and the four-path choices are clear for each part of your contribution.
The full rate sheet is below this section. The full policy lives at /music-policy.
Reach us at hello@publicworship.life and we'll set up a conversation before any agreement is signed.
A song you're part of is still in development
Public Worship makes more songs in sessions than we release. Until a song is greenlit for an official release, no compensation framework is attached. Greenlight is a written decision, not implied by enthusiasm in the room.
While the song is still in development:
- You retain your writer share on whatever you wrote. Public Worship has no publishing claim until greenlight.
- The demo recording is owned by Public Worship (made with our resources).
- None of the rate-sheet paths apply yet — those activate at greenlight.
- Selection is stewardship, not judgment. Releasing a song costs us real money. We have to choose, and not every song fits the project or the cycle. That's not a comment on the song or on you.
If the song never gets greenlit, you have options. .
You wrote on a song we aren't releasing
If you wrote on a song in a Public Worship session and we haven't greenlit it for an official release, you can ask for the song back.
How it works:
- You request a formal release of the composition back to you. In most cases, the request will be granted.
- Public Worship may decline if we are actively considering the song for a future cycle. If we decline, we'll tell you what we're considering it for and when we'll revisit.
- If granted, you can re-record and release the song as your own work — no Public Worship publishing share, no master claim, no encumbrance.
- The original demo recording stays owned by Public Worship and we won't release it commercially without your written agreement.
Why we keep the demo: we recorded it using our studio, equipment, and engineering. The recording is ours. The composition can still be yours.
How to ask: email hello@publicworship.life with the song name and a brief note. We'll respond within two weeks.
Becoming a Public Worship primary artist
A Public Worship primary artist is someone we're building with over time, not just a one-off feature. Before we have this conversation, we want you to read two things:
- The full royalty and release policy.
- The artist expectations doc — what we expect of artists who carry the Public Worship name.
If after reading both you still want to talk, here's what to expect:
- The relationship is non-exclusive. You keep your own career, your own catalog, your own deals.
- Specific releases will have written agreements. Participation tiers, platform support, and off-ramp are documented before commitment.
- Public Worship retains master ownership of releases under our name. Your writer share stays whole; your participation in master income is real but capped within the policy's overall framework.
- It's a real relationship, not a contract for a career. We make decisions together about which songs become Official Public Worship Releases and which you carry on your own.
How to start the conversation: email hello@publicworship.life with a brief note about who you are and what you've made.
Browsing how this works
Two places to look:
- The rate sheet below this section. What every contributor role can take in cash, equity, or donation.
- The full policy document. The canonical version of how we handle songwriting, publishing, master ownership, and participation.
The four paths in short: for every contributor on a greenlit release, you choose one of: cash fee (when funded), master income participation, in-kind donation, or decline. All four are equally honored.
What we won't do: imply that contributors who choose donation or equity are more spiritual or more deserving of future opportunities than contributors who need cash. Cash is what we offer when we have it. Equity is what we can always offer. Donation is a gift, never an expectation.
Going market rate sheet
These rates reflect Public Worship's current season — a New York City–based volunteer ministry releasing its first songs. They are anchored to independent-artist market rates, not major-label rates, and not a "ministry discount."
Effective: 2026. Next scheduled review: end of 2027. All rates are per song unless noted.
| Role | Cash fee | Master points |
|---|---|---|
| Lead producer (full song) | $500 | 5% |
| Co-producer | $250 | 2% |
| Recording engineer (tracking) | $200 | 1.5% |
| Mix engineer | $400 | 3% |
| Mastering engineer | $125 | 0.75% |
| Vocal producer | $250 | 2% |
| Arranger | $200 | 1.5% |
| Featured vocalist | $300 | 3% |
| Background vocalist | $125 | 0.75% |
| Session instrumentalist | $125 | 0.75% |
| Marketing / rollout lead | $500 | 3% |
Source ranges and per-row reasoning are in the policy rate sheet.
A note on cash availability
Cash is conditional on each release's budget. Equity, donation, and declining are always available. Before a release, we'll tell you exactly what cash is funded for your role for that song. If too many contributors require cash we can't fund, the release may pause, reshape, or wait — we'd rather pause than push anyone toward a path that isn't right for them.