Position: Manager, Business & Legal Affairs
Department: Business & Legal Affairs
Location: Los Angeles or Nashville
Come As You Are.
As the great Kurt Cobain* once said, “Come as you are.” BMG is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and we celebrate diversity in all forms. Equal opportunity runs deep in our core value of fairness and we are determined to create a truly inclusive work environment, where everyone can flourish. If you’re good at what you do, come as you are.
All applicants to BMG will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, color, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
*BMG is the proud representative of Kurt Cobain’s publishing catalogue, including the 1992 single ‘Come As You Are’.
Your Mission at BMG.
Your primary mission is to represent BMG to the creative, legal and business communities in the Los Angeles music business and beyond. You will have high visibility internally as well as in the industry in general. You will be a primary point of contact for the company with our artists’ attorneys and business team. You will negotiate both routine and sophisticated commercial contracts in a fast paced, dynamic company that is the fastest growing company in the history of the fast paced and dynamic music industry. You will embody and transmit the values of fairness and transparency to our external partners as well as your BMG colleagues, and you will maintain a global orientation to operations and opportunities.
Your Profile.
- You have an interest in the entertainment business particularly recorded music, music publishing, live performance, merchandise, music licensing and marketing.
- You have familiarity with a variety of music genres and digital audio file formats.
- You are comfortable working in a team and are a self-starter.
- Your time management skills allow you to meet deadlines easily.
- You have exceptional attention to detail and the ability to track and follow through on multiple concurrent projects to completion.
- You are comfortable navigating informal lines of communication and decision making.
- You understand the 2nd law of thermodynamics and take pride in creating a reverse eddy in your proximate field.
What You’ll Be Doing.
- Drafting, reviewing, negotiating and finalizing: (i) Recording Agreements (All types, Profit Share/Artist Rev. Share/PPD), (ii) Songwriter Agreements, (iii) Administration Agreements, (iv) License Agreements (i.e., General Licensing Agreements, Direct License Agreements such as Sirius/XM, iHeart, etc.), (v) JV/Profit Share Agreements, (vi) Music Video Agreements, (vii) Photography Agreements, (viii) Product Placement Agreements, (ix) Termination Agreements, (x) Label Exclusivity Waiver Agreements, (xi) Producer Agreements (only for certain projects), (xii) Producer Certification of Employment Agreements, (xiii) Promotional Radio Agreements (xiv) General Work for Hire/Acquisition Agreements for BMG as a whole; (xv) Co-publishing Agreements; (xvi) Publishing Administration Agreements; (xvii) Co-writer Collaboration Agreements; (xviii) Work for Hire Agreements, (xix) NFT Licenses; (xx) Trademark Licenses, and (xxi) Artwork Licenses.
- Reviewing, negotiating and finalizing agreements with third parties as part of standard ongoing business needs such as: Facility Rental
- Agreements, Certificates of Insurance, CMA/CMT License Agreements (individuals projects only), AFM & SAG-AFTRA Amendments and Compliance, etc.;
- Advising and counseling on copyright and intellectual property issues surrounding music exploitation and general business development;
- Working closely and providing meaningful business and legal guidance/counseling to the BMG Creative Team/Management (BBRMG, RISE, RBC, Renew, Trojan, Shelter etc.) in connection with material terms contained in most if not all of the Agreements listed above;
- Working closely and providing meaningful business and legal guidance/counseling to the BMG Finance & Royalty Teams;
- Obtaining and submitting all of the onboarding documents (ACH/W9/W8BEN) internally in connection with on-boarding each Artist and/or Songwriter whose agreement you facilitate;
- Drafting Cease and Desist and Copyright Infringement Letters, coordinating content protection with BMG’s client (attorney and management) whose work was infringed and negotiating, mitigation and settling with the infringing third parties;
- Reviewing and negotiating boilerplate agreements with repeat or new vendors (Examples include: outside PR/Ad buying/Marketing firms);
- Liaison between BMG and outside counsel in connection with Sweepstakes and Contest Rules and Terms and Conditions;
Policing and ensuring compliance with BMG Legal obligations and internal policies.
Must-Haves
- J.D. from an accredited law school, State Bar license certification or in process of Bar admittance.
- Basic understanding of recording agreements, master use license agreements, producer agreements, collaboration agreements, songwriter agreements, co-publishing agreements, music copyright administration agreements, sub-publishing agreements, asset purchase agreements, copyright law, trademark law, contract law, personality rights, rights of publicity, law of defamation, media law, FCC and FTC regulations pertaining to satellite, over the air, and/or cable broadcast and internet transmissions.
- Proficiency with Microsoft.
What’s In It For You.
- Robust medical/dental/vision packages
- Flexible time off
- $500 fitness reimbursement
- Diverse possibilities of personal and professional development including trainings and access to Lynda.com
- Dollar for dollar match of up to 6% into 401(k) after your first year with the company
- A fun and respectful community of people with a passion for music
About BMG.
BMG is a new kind of music company. Our mission is clear; to help artists and songwriters make the very most of their songs and recordings in the digital age. That’s why we offer the best creative support, provide the best access to platforms and work hard to maximize the value of each and every copyright, ensuring all our clients receive all payments promptly and accurately. We are not a technology company – though we use the best technology. We are not just a music publisher or a record label – although we offer both services. BMG is a company with service, transparency and fairness at its heart and a commitment to being the best international music company for songwriters, artists and everyone who works with us.
