Universal Music Group

Senior Manager, Business Affairs Administration

Universal Music Group$72K — $95K *
Media
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3-5 years of experience in music industry licensing or legal affairs.
  • Working knowledge of music copyright and licensing agreements.
  • Experience drafting and administering music-related agreements preferred.
  • Exceptional organizational skills with attention to detail.
  • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
  • Self-motivated, able to work independently and collaboratively.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinate and manage music and video clearances with labels and licensors.
  • Oversee the end-to-end clearance process and resolve complex rights issues.
  • Advise teams on ownership splits and licensing considerations.
  • Draft and administer various music agreements, including samples and soundtracks.
  • Manage contract execution and maintain accurate contract records.
  • Review music video content for potential legal risks.
  • Maintain tracking systems to ensure project visibility and status.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • 100% coverage for out-patient in-network mental health services.
  • Fertility coverage for eligible participants.
  • Wellbeing reimbursements up to $720/year for various services.
  • Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement.
  • 401(k) with immediate 100% vesting on contributions.
  • Flexible Paid Time Off for exempt employees and 3 weeks for non-exempt.
Full Job Description
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


A variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including:

  • 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


Check out our full overview of benefits on the Perks Playlist page of the career site.

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

Job Category:
Business & Legal Affairs

Salary Range:
$72,050-$95,000

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. All candidates are encouraged to apply.

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group (UMG) is a global music corporation that is a subsidiary of the French media conglomerate Vivendi. The company was founded in 1934 as Decca Records and has since grown to become the largest music company in the world, with a market share of over 30%. UMG owns and operates a wide range of record labels, including Capitol Records, Def Jam Recordings, and Island Records, and has a roster of over 4,000 artists. In addition to music production and distribution, UMG also operates several other businesses, including music publishing, merchandising, and film and television production.
Learn more about Universal Music Group
Size
7,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1934

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