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Release and Revenue Plan for One Song

The capstone project for Music Business Basics — a free Creative course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

One document or shareable link containing: a song overview with master/publishing ownership, a completed and signed-format split sheet, a rights-and-royalty registration plan, a distributor and release technical checklist with a payout pipeline, a three-phase marketing rollout calendar, and a first-year revenue map with realistic naira projections plus a short money-management and contract-safety note.

What to do, step by step

  1. Pick one real or planned song and write a short overview: the title, who made it (you, co-writers, producer), and the exact, consistent spelling of every name and the title you will use everywhere — then state who owns the MASTER and who owns the PUBLISHING, keeping the two separate as taught in Lessons 1-2.
  2. Create a completed split sheet for the song: a one-page table listing the title and date, every contributor's full name, role (writer/producer/vocalist) and agreed percentage (publishing percentages must total 100%), with a signature line for each person — exactly as covered in Lesson 2.
  3. Write your rights-and-royalty setup plan: which collecting society or publishing administrator you will register with (noting the COSON/MCSN/NCC realities you must verify), and how you will register the composition and keep metadata consistent so performance and publishing royalties actually reach you (Lesson 3).
  4. Choose a distributor and explain why (pricing model and ease of paying a Nigerian artist), state how you will receive and convert your USD royalties (Payoneer/Grey/Geegpay/domiciliary), and list your release technical checklist: WAV audio, 3000x3000 cover art, clean metadata, ISRC/UPC, a Friday release date set 2-4 weeks ahead, and your playlist-pitch plan (Lesson 4).
  5. Build a marketing rollout calendar with three phases — pre-release (2-4 weeks: snippets, playlist/blog pitches, pre-saves, building your owned WhatsApp/Telegram fanbase), release day (coordinated posts, short-form video, direct messages to fans), and post-release (weeks of continued content) — using the short-form-video and fanbase ideas from Lesson 5.
  6. Map your revenue streams with realistic naira projections for the first year — streaming, shows, sync, merch, YouTube, fan support and any sponsorship — using the rough figures from Lesson 6, then add one short paragraph on how you will manage the money (separate account, reinvestment, tax) and the contract/scam red flags you will watch for (Lesson 7). Put everything into one clean document or link and submit it.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 7 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
Master vs publishing ownership is correctly separated and a complete split sheet is included, with roles and percentages that total 100% and a signature line for each contributor25%
Rights-and-royalty setup is sound: a sensible collecting society / publishing-admin plan, realistic about Nigerian collection, with consistent metadata so royalties actually reach the artist20%
Distribution and release plan is practical: a justified distributor choice, a working USD-to-naira payout pipeline, and a correct technical checklist (audio, art, metadata, ISRC/UPC, dated release, playlist pitch)20%
Marketing rollout is a real three-phase calendar using short-form video, playlists/blogs, and an owned fanbase — not a single panic post20%
Revenue map shows multiple realistic naira income streams for year one plus a clear money-management and contract/scam-safety note, all in one tidy shareable document15%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Music Business Basics before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Music Business Basics is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Ready to earn this certificate?

Music Business Basics is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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