Isabella TorresTyla and Zara Larsson Team Up for "She Did It Again": What International Music Collaborations Really Require
South African Amapiano star Tyla announced on May 2, 2026, that her upcoming album "A*Pop" — set for release on July 24, 2026 — will include a collaboration with Swedish pop star Zara Larsson titled "She Did It Again." The joint single represents one of the most anticipated cross-continental pop pairings of the year, as Tyla, who won the Grammy for Best African Music Performance in 2024 and is up for four American Music Awards in May 2026, continues her international expansion.
Behind the scenes of moments like this is a complex legal architecture that governs everything from how royalties are split to which country's laws apply when things go wrong. For independent and emerging artists considering international collaborations, understanding this structure is not optional — it is fundamental to protecting creative and financial interests.
What a Collaboration Agreement Must Include
When two artists from different countries record and release music together, the foundation is a collaboration agreement (sometimes called a joint work agreement or co-writing agreement). This contract governs the creative partnership before any label, distributor, or sync agent enters the picture.
The critical elements of any well-drafted collaboration agreement include:
- Ownership split: The percentage of the musical composition and sound recording each party owns — these two rights are legally separate and may be split differently.
- Creative approval rights: Who has final say over the finished recording, mix, and master; whether either party can release the work without the other's consent.
- Revenue split: How streaming royalties, mechanical royalties, sync licensing fees, and performance royalties are divided — and which parties collect directly versus through a shared structure.
- Territory and term: Which countries the agreement covers, and for how long.
- Moral rights: Particularly important for international collaborations, since countries like France and South Africa recognize artists' moral rights (the right to object to distortion or modification of their work) more broadly than U.S. law does.
The US vs. International Royalty Collection Gap
One of the most significant risks for international artists collaborating on music released primarily in the U.S. market is the royalty collection gap — the difference between what U.S. platforms pay and what international artists actually receive.
In the United States, mechanical royalties for on-demand streaming are governed by the Copyright Royalty Board's rates, set under the Music Modernization Act of 2018. Songwriters and publishers collect these royalties through designated agents, and the system is relatively transparent for U.S.-registered artists. However, for international artists who are not registered with a U.S. performing rights organization (PRO) — such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC — or who have not established a U.S. publishing entity, significant royalties can go uncollected.
According to ASCAP, international artists receiving U.S. performance royalties through reciprocal agreements with their home country's PRO may face collection delays of 12 to 18 months or more. In some cases, royalties earned in the U.S. are distributed through the artist's home PRO, which may apply its own deductions and have different distribution schedules.
For a South African artist like Tyla, who is now generating substantial U.S. streaming and performance revenue, ensuring that royalty collection structures are optimized for the U.S. market — through a U.S. PRO registration, a U.S. publishing administrator, or both — can represent the difference between collecting what is owed and leaving six-figure sums in unclaimed royalties.
Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
When artists from different countries collaborate, one of the most contentious negotiation points is the choice of governing law — which country's legal system will apply if the parties disagree. The choice matters: U.S. copyright law differs from South African copyright law and Swedish copyright law in significant ways, including the duration of copyright protection, moral rights treatment, and the remedies available for infringement.
U.S. entertainment attorneys typically push for U.S. law to govern agreements with international artists, particularly when the primary market is American. South African artists working with U.S. partners should be aware that agreeing to U.S. governing law means agreeing to U.S. courts and U.S. legal remedies — which can be expensive to access from abroad.
For artists without the resources of a major label, arbitration clauses in international collaboration agreements are an important alternative to litigation, allowing disputes to be resolved through a neutral arbitration body under rules that both parties can negotiate in advance.
Label Involvement and the Loss of Negotiating Leverage
When one or both collaborating artists are signed to major labels, the label's agreement with the artist almost always includes provisions that give the label approval rights — or even control — over collaboration agreements. This means that the artist's label, not the artist, may be the party with real negotiating power in shaping the terms of the joint release.
For emerging artists considering collaborations with signed artists, this dynamic is essential to understand before creative work begins. Once a collaboration is recorded and delivered, the leverage shifts dramatically: the party who controls the master recording has significant power over whether, when, and how the track is released, regardless of what a written agreement says.
Getting independent legal advice before beginning a collaboration — not after the track is already recorded — is the single most important step any artist can take to protect their interests in a joint creative project.
When to Consult an Entertainment Lawyer
Tyla's trajectory — from South African Amapiano breakout to four AMA nominations in under three years — illustrates how rapidly an independent international artist's legal and financial situation can become complex. The royalty structures, collaboration agreements, and international publishing arrangements that work at an emerging artist level often require significant restructuring as global revenue grows.
For any artist navigating an international collaboration, an entertainment lawyer with cross-border expertise can review collaboration agreements, advise on U.S. PRO registration and publishing administration, and ensure that the governing law and dispute resolution provisions reflect the artist's actual interests — not just the counterparty's boilerplate.
At Expert Zoom, you can connect with entertainment law specialists who understand the specific legal structures behind music collaborations and international royalty collection.
This article provides general legal information. Consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your situation.
