Warner Music Group Jobs

Legal & Business Affairs Manager - 12 Month FTC

Job Description:

At Warner Music Group, we’re a global collective of music makers and music lovers, tech innovators and inspired entrepreneurs, game-changing creatives and passionate team members. Here, we know that each talent makes our collective bolder and brighter. We are guided by four core principles that underpin everything we do across all our diverse businesses:

• Music is Everything : Music is our passion, and we can never get enough. Tastes, trends, and tech will change, but great artists and songwriters will always be our driving force.

• Global Growth, Local Expertise : Music is a global language. Through communication and collaboration, our success can come from anywhere and translate everywhere.

• Innovation and Insight : Pushing the boundaries requires the best information and the boldest imagination. We use both to create the future.

• Empowered by People : Like the artists we serve and the music they make, our differences make us stronger. This is a place where every talent can belong and build a career.

We remain committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We know it fosters a culture where you can truly belong, contribute, and grow. We encourage applications from people of any age, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, and any other protected characteristic or identity.

Consider a career at WMG and get the best of both worlds – an innovative global music company that retains the creative spirit of a nimble independent.

Job Title: Manager, Legal & Business Affairs, Warner Records (12 Month FTC)

A little bit about our team:

Our UK legal and business affairs team is responsible for negotiating and drafting commercial contracts on behalf of the business, as well as providing commercial advice and legal support. The team is involved at every stage of an artist’s relationship with their label, including signing first recording agreements, engaging contributors throughout the recording process, creating artwork and visual content to accompany releases, and supporting activities throughout the marketing and promotional campaigns.

Your role:

This is a key role working for one of our frontline labels, Warner Records. This role primarily supports and works closely with the A&R, marketing and creative teams at Warner Records to sign artists and ensure the label has the rights and clearances required to release their artists’ music and execute successful marketing and promotional campaigns. The role sits in our central UK legal and business affairs team, but requires working closely with the creative and marketing teams and others within the labels.

Here you’ll get to:

• You will draft and negotiate artist recording agreements, as well as a range of commercial contracts relating to the artists’ recordings, including third party clearance agreements for producers/mixers and featured artists.

• You will negotiate third party master sample clearances and draft sample clearance licences.

• You will draft and negotiate live performance agreements, granting rights to a range of broadcasters and live event promoters when our artists are recorded performing live for radio/TV/online or at festivals and other live events, including liaising with the label as well as the artists’ management teams to obtain applicable approvals.

• You will support the development of more junior team members.

• You will draft and negotiate agreements when our artists collaborate with third party brands, including product placements in music videos or branded live performances.

• You will be responsible for monitoring option dates in respect of artists on the roster.

• You will help to handle any contentious issues, including copyright infringement, breach of contract and debt recovery, including drafting of letters.

• You will respond to rights queries from the label and other departments.

• You will provide other general legal and business affairs support as required across the label as delegated by the Director, for example preparing deal memos, contract summaries, notices, non-disclosure agreements and side-letters.

About you:

• You are an experienced qualified lawyer (PQE 3+ years), with at least 2 years’ experience within an in-house music (or similar industry) team or in a relevant team in a private practice firm.

• You have a minimum of a 2:1 degree (LLB or other undergraduate degree with law conversion).

• You have a sound understanding of intellectual property law (in particular copyright and performers’ rights).

• You have excellent attention to detail.

• You have sound commercial acumen.

• You are a clear and confident communicator, personable, and enjoy building relationships with the business and colleagues.

• You are able to draft and negotiate a variety of agreements in the best interests of Warner Records and in accordance with Warner Music Group commercial strategy and operational guidelines.

• You are able to devise innovative solutions to difficult problems.

• You are willing to apply your passion to every aspect of the department’s work and open to developing new skills.

• You are proactive, have the ability to work well under pressure, and are good at prioritising workload.

About us:

As the home to Asylum, Atlantic, East West, Elektra, FFRR, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Warner Records, Warner Classics, and several other of the world’s premier recording labels, Warner Music Group champions emerging artists and global superstars alike. And our renowned publishing company, Warner Chappell Music, represents genre-spanning songwriters and producers through a catalogue of more than one million copyrights worldwide. Redefining what it means to be a music company in the 21st century, our consumer brands include trend-setters like UPROXX, Songkick, HipHopDX, and EMP. We’re the home to WMX – the next generation services division that connects artists with fans and amplifies brands in creative, immersive, and engaging ways – and Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA) – the ground-breaking global distribution company for independent artists and labels.

Together, we are Warner Music Group: Music With Vision & Voice.

Love this job and want to apply?

Click the “Apply” link at the top of the page, or apply directly with your LinkedIn. Applying with LinkedIn will import all of the information you put in your profile, but will still allow you to upload a resume and cover letter.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear from us right away. We’re taking our time to review all resumes, and to find the best people for WMG.

Thanks for your interest in working for WMG. We love it here, and think you will, too.

WMG is committed to inclusion and diversity in all aspects of our business. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and will evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, religion or belief, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or any other characteristic protected by law.