Overview
Senior Manager, Business Affairs Administration – New York, 10019, United States of America
How we LEAD:
As a member of the Business & Legal Affairs team, you’ll play a key role in helping bring new music and video releases to market by managing rights clearances and licensing activities across a diverse roster of artists. You’ll partner with teams across Business & Legal Affairs, A&R, Marketing, Production, Revenue, Licensing, Artist Management, and external rights holders to ensure releases move forward efficiently while mitigating legal and business risks.
This role is ideal for a highly organized, solutions-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys solving complex rights issues, and is passionate about the music industry. The successful candidate will have 3-5 years of music licensing, legal, or business affairs experience and be eager to expand their expertise in artist, sample, synchronization, and content clearances.
How you’ll CREATE:
Rights Clearance & Release Support
- Coordinate and manage music and video clearances by working with third-party labels, publishers, licensors, clearance agencies, artist management, and internal stakeholders to secure all required approvals for commercial releases.
- Manage the end-to-end clearance process, tracking requests, monitoring timelines, and helping resolve complex rights issues that could impact release schedules.
- Advise internal teams on clearance requirements, ownership splits, and licensing considerations for samples, side artists, compilations, soundtrack projects, and synchronization opportunities.
Contract Drafting & Administration
- Draft, review, and administer a variety of music agreements, including Sample Agreements, Side Artist Agreements, Label Waivers (including Profit Split arrangements), and Soundtrack and Synchronization License Agreements.
- Manage agreement execution, maintain accurate contract records, distribute finalized agreements to appropriate stakeholders, and coordinate supporting documentation for payment processing.
Risk Assessment & Cross-Functional Partnership
- Review music video treatments and final content to identify potential copyright, trademark, publicity, and reputational risks, partnering with Legal executives to resolve issues before release.
- Collaborate closely with Business & Legal Affairs, A&R, Marketing, Production, Revenue, Licensing, Artist Management, and Legal teams to support artist releases and commercial licensing initiatives.
- Partner with synchronization and catalog licensing teams to facilitate soundtrack placements and other licensing opportunities.
Process Management
- Maintain organized tracking systems and documentation to ensure visibility into project status, contractual obligations, and clearance milestones.
- Recommend and support process improvements that increase operational efficiency and enhance cross-functional collaboration.
Bring your VIBE:
- 3-5 years of experience in music industry licensing, business affairs, legal administration, or a related field.
- Working knowledge of music copyright, licensing, publishing, and recording agreements.
- Experience drafting and administering music-related agreements is strongly preferred.
- Exceptional organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail.
- Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines.
- Demonstrated problem-solving skills and sound judgment when navigating complex rights issues.
- Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and collaboratively across departments.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment while maintaining confidentiality.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Familiarity with UMG systems is a plus.
- Passion for music and the evolving entertainment landscape.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
