Royalty Manager

Music Week; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 46,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contribution

Hybrid working

Job summary

Music Week is seeking a Senior Royalty Manager based in central London, reporting to the Rights & Business Affairs Director. You will manage the royalty cycle for the company’s income streams including printed music sales.

You will lead a team of three, drive process improvements using automation and AI, liaise with Finance, and support audits. Hybrid work with a £46k-£52k salary and benefits.

Qualifications

• Senior-level royalty experience in a music publishing context.
• Knowledge of royalty terms in standard contracts.
• Experience with CMOs and sub-publishers.
• Ability to automate processes using AI/automation.
• Strong Excel, numeracy and written communication.

Responsibilities

• Oversee quarterly processing of all royalty income including mechanical, performance and synchronisation.
• Process UK and overseas royalties on printed product sales using Backbeat.
• Account and provide statements to composers and corporate clients.
• Manage a team of three staff.
• Review and improve royalty processes to boost efficiency.
• Handle enquiries from royalty clients and advise on royalty issues.
• Coordinate with Finance for correct postings.
• Support external audits and prepare client audits as required.
• Prepare management reports for forecasting and annual reporting.
• Oversee royalty control/suspense account reconciliations.
• Service two third-party publisher clients for royalty processing.

Skills

Senior royalty experience

Music publishing knowledge

Excel

Numeracy

Written communication

Automation & AI tools

PRS for Music knowledge

Tools

Vistex Maestro

Backbeat

Job description

Reporting to the company’s Rights & Business Affairs Director and working closely with the company’s Copyright and Accounts Departments, you will be responsible for managing the royalty cycle for the company’s royalty income businesses and printed music sales.

Principal responsibilities include:

• Overseeing Royalties Team quarterly processing of mechanical, performance, grand right, synchronisation and all other royalty income, including digital sheet music sales and related income both of Faber Music itself and third party digital publishers, using Vistex Music Maestro software.
• Processing UK and overseas royalties on printed product sales, using Backbeat royalty software and accounting to authors and composers in accordance with contracts.
• Accounting and providing statements to composers and corporate clients in accordance with contracts.
• Managing a team of three staff members.
• Reviewing and improving existing royalty processes to improve efficiency.
• Dealing with enquiries from royalty clients - composers, authors, publishers - and management and advising on royalty-related issues across the company.
• Interacting with Finance team to ensure correct accounts postings.
• Managing enquiries from our auditors during the annual external audit and preparing client audits as required.
• Preparing management reports for analysis and forecasting and fulfilling annual external reporting obligations.
• Overseeing of periodic royalty control/suspense account reconciliations.
• Servicing two third party publisher clients for whom the company provides royalty processing services.

Experience and skills required:

• Strong experience at a senior level within a royalty department, ideally with a music publisher which handles statements from multiple CMOs and sub-publishers.
• Detailed knowledge of royalty and accounting terms in standard music publishing contracts.
• Vision and ability to harness automation and A.I. as tools to improve processes and efficiency.
• Knowledge of the function of collecting societies such as PRS for Music and pan-European digital licensing hubs.
• Familiarity with accounting issues and experience of co-operation with Finance team.
• Excellent Excel, numeracy and written communication skills.
• Ideally, experience with Vistex Maestro and/or Backbeat software.
• An ability to work to immovable deadlines, and to remain calm under pressure.

The role is based in our Head Office in central London and requires close liaison with royalties and accounts staff in our Distribution Centre in Harlow. Hybrid working is possible.

Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience, expected to be in the range £46k-£52k per annum plus benefits and pension contribution.

London/ Hybrid ( at least 3 days a week in the office)