Senior Manager, Business Affairs Administration

600 UMG Recordings Inc; New York (NY); On-site; USD 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Fertility coverage

Wellbeing reimbursements

Student Loan Repayment Assistance

401(k) with employer contributions

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Universal Music Group in New York seeks a rights clearance and release professional to manage licenses for music and video, including samples, side artists, and soundtracks. You will coordinate with labels, publishers, licensors, clearance agencies, artist management, and internal teams to secure approvals and keep releases on schedule.

This role requires 3–5 years in music licensing or business affairs, strong knowledge of copyright and licensing agreements, and excellent organization.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in music licensing, legal, or business affairs.
• Knowledge of music copyright, licensing, publishing, and recording agreements.
• Experience drafting and administering music-related agreements preferred.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage music and video clearances with labels, publishers, licensors, clearance agencies, artist management, and internal stakeholders to secure approvals for releases.
• Oversee end-to-end clearance process, track requests, timelines, and resolve complex rights issues.
• Advise internal teams on clearance requirements, ownership splits, and licensing for samples, side artists, compilations, soundtrack projects, and synchronization opportunities.
• Draft, review, and administer music agreements including Sample Agreements, Side Artist Agreements, Label Waivers, and Soundtrack and Synchronization License Agreements.
• Manage agreement execution, maintain contract records, distribute finalized agreements, and coordinate supporting documentation for payments.
• Review music video treatments and final content to identify copyright, trademark, publicity, and reputational risks, collaborating with Legal to resolve issues.
• Collaborate with Business & Legal Affairs, A&R, Marketing, Production, Revenue, Licensing, Artist Management, and Legal teams to support artist releases and licensing initiatives.
• Partner with synchronization and catalog licensing teams to facilitate soundtrack placements and other licensing opportunities.
• Maintain organized tracking systems and documentation to track project status and obligations, and support process improvements.

Skills

Music licensing

Legal affairs

Contract administration

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.

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.

Perks Playlist:

Join an entrepreneurial, global organization where authenticity, boldness, creativity, connection, drive, and insight aren’t just values—they’re how we work every day. Here are some of the ways we support you along the way (and just a few of the benefits we offer):

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Including 100% coverage for out-patient in-network mental health services
• Fertility coverage for eligible medical plan participants
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
• 401(k) with 100% immediate vesting on the first 5% of your contributions, plus an additional UMG contribution
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
• 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
• 2-weeks paid Winter Break
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

Disclaimer:

This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change.

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an E-Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.

Please note, UMG is not enrolled in E-Verify in California and New York, and cannot support employment of candidates whose employer must enroll in E-Verify, for example candidates on STEM-OPT.

E-Verify Participation Poster: English / Spanish E-Verify Right to Work Poster: English | Spanish

Job Category: Business & Legal Affairs Salary Range: $72,050-$85,000 The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, which may include, as applicable, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

We are Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company.

We are the home for music’s greatest artists, innovators and entrepreneurs.