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.
Warner Chappell Music (WCM) is the music publishing division of Warner Music Group. We are interested in those who can join and contribute along our company’s values: Curiosity, Collaboration, and Commitment. We value input, ideas, and feedback from everyone at every level and the voices and contributions of every team member at WCM matter.
At WCM we put the songwriter first, offering high touch service to move the cultural dial across the globe. We want team members who have a service-oriented mindset and care about the collective work. We are searching for those who are comfortable thinking globally while leveraging local expertise. We are Warner Chappell Music – where songwriters are heard.
Job Title: Global Copyright Manager
A little bit about our team:
The Global Copyright Department is part of the Global Administration Division based in our London office, made up of the Global Copyright and International Royalty Processing teams. As Global Copyright Manager you will lead a team of four and report directly to the Head of Global Administration. The Global Copyright team works closely with the Warner Chappell network of global offices, forming strong working relationships with teams all over the world to ensure standard methodologies are upheld, processes are efficient and that Admin teams are working with the best tools and resources available. The Global Copyright team plays a crucial role in supporting the end-to-end music value chain at Warner Chappell Music, from registration to licensing, royalty collection and distribution to our valued songwriters and clients.
Your role
We are looking for a bright, highly organised and innovative manager to lead our global copyright services, an individual who is excited to work collaboratively with different departments and territories. We believe that people are at the core of what we do and under the guidance of the Head of Global Administration, you will have the opportunity to develop the Global Copyright team to continuously improve their delivery of the very best in global administration.
The role presents a great next step for an experienced copyright manager seeking a new challenge, a person who is passionate about people leadership and getting the very best out of their team.
Here you’ll get to
- Lead all aspects of the day-to-day management of the four direct reports. Provide training, motivation, guidance and direction to the team. Effectively supervise priorities and workload, setting short, medium and long-term goals for the department.
- Coach your staff to trouble-shoot queries, problem solve and work autonomously.
- Maintain accurate registrations of WCM’s catalogue worldwide. Lead the delivery of timely and accurate copyright data to CMOs, sub-publishers, online processing partners and third-party licensees, ensuring weekly files are provided to 50+ recipients.
- Lead internal testing and implementation of industry standard formats and processes, including CWR, CAF, IAS and IRS.
- Facilitate the provision of data under our digital deals and provide operational support to our digital licensing teams.
- Work inter-departmentally and internationally to support our global affiliates’ copyright needs. Contribute to the services provided by the team.
- Create, document and maintain global data standards, including Best Practice Guidelines for data entry into Tango, our in-house copyright and royalty system.
- Identify, plan and run worldwide data clean-up projects within Tango.
- Work with IT to develop projects and new system enhancements.
- Represent Warner Chappell at external meetings and actively participate in industry initiatives/working groups (e.g. ICE, CISAC, etc.), with the occasional opportunity to travel.
- Collaborate with colleagues to improve efficiencies across all areas of administration
- Contribute to ongoing global training initiatives, coordinating training of local staff in affiliate offices. Create and maintain internal training materials.
- Present to colleagues, senior management and clients, as required.
- Set KPIs to measure team, society and third-party performance; create regular reports for senior management.
- Investigate and resolve complex copyright queries.
- Support the Head of Administration with strategic planning, goal setting and the execution of projects.
About you:
- A successful track record in people management
- You have proven experience in music publishing, three of which must have been in a copyright role
- You have a passion for professional development and an interest in leadership
- You have an all-round understanding of music publishing, with expertise in administration and experience using copyright and royalty systems
- You are well-versed in CMO practices, policies, society rules and registration requirements. You are knowledgeable in the international treatment of BIEM rules, counterclaims/disputes and versions.
- You have a complete understanding of the end-to-end works registration process and an in-depth knowledge of the CWR (Common Works Registration) format and the ways in which it can be adapted. You have a good working knowledge of other data file formats, such as XML, DDEX, JSON, CSV, CRD, DIF, FLAT, TEXT, JSON, and society specific formats.
- You are experienced in the use of ACK files and resolving errors
- You are experienced in reading and understanding music publishing contracts. You can interpret commercial terms with ease and confidently translate them into copyright and royalty systems.
- You understand the digital supply chain, the operational steps required to facilitate multi-territory licensing and digital claiming practices
- You have Advanced Excel skills, including Power Query, Power Pivot and advanced formulae
- You are proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Outlook
- You are a strong forward planner with exceptional organisational skills
- You enjoy multi-tasking and know how to employ effective time-management, prioritisation and planning techniques to complete projects to deadlines
- You are a critical thinker with the ability to join dots and think laterally
- You are self-motivated and results-focused with a proven ability to improve performance and process
- You are meticulous with a high-level of numeracy
- You have exceptional analytical skills with the ability to extract and manipulate data from high volume datafiles/reports
- You have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral
- You are prepared to travel and work extended hours as required
We’d love it if you also had
- Experience assessing staff training and development needs
- In-house experience at a music publisher, ideally in a managerial capacity within administration
- Experience of leading data migration projects and contributing to system enhancements
- An interest in the intersection of technology and music
- An understanding of the overall digital supply chain as it relates to music and the international claiming practices for key digital services, including YouTube
- Experience with SQL, Business Intelligence (BI) and Tableau
- A degree level education
- Additional language skills
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.
