Counsel, Music Business Affairs - India

Netflix is seeking a Counsel for its Music Business Affairs Team in Mumbai, India. This role involves overseeing music production, clearance, and licensing for original content, supporting external production partners, and handling in-house music deals. The Counsel will also provide legal guidance to internal teams, negotiate music terms, and develop scalable workflows. This position offers broad responsibility and insight into various aspects of Netflix's business, working with diverse internal and external partners.

Must Have

• Oversee production, clearance, and licensing of music on original content.
• Support external production partners in music deal negotiations.
• Handle in-house music deals (negotiating commercial terms, structuring, drafting agreements).
• Provide music business & legal support and guidance to internal teams.
• Negotiate and draft music terms in production services agreements, content licenses.
• Provide guidance around creation and delivery of cue sheets, song credits.
• Build out scalable workflows with production partners.
• 8-10 years PQE (Post Qualified Experience) as a lawyer.
• Deep understanding of the music industry and its dynamics.
• Hands-on experience structuring, negotiating, and drafting various music agreements.
• Thorough understanding of music nuances in producing locally vs. globally.
• In-depth knowledge of music copyright and series/film production process.
• Practical knowledge of the music and entertainment industries in India, including CMOs.
• Fluency (written and spoken) in English.
• Exceptional drafting and project management skills.
• Clear, concise and effective communication skills.
• Ability to work proactively, independently and reliably under tight timeframes.
• Strong analytical capabilities and judgment.
• Tech-savvy, with a strong sense of how cloud-based document and database systems are used.

Good to Have

• Experience providing in-house music support in a television, documentary or film production company and/or network.
• Relationships with producers and music labels.

Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

Our Music Business Affairs Team is looking for a new member to join the team who shares our passion for music, the entertainment industry and great content. Someone who seeks out and thrives in an environment where freedom and responsibility are a tenet, and passion, innovation and curiosity are mandates. A stunning and selfless colleague for whom no task is too small or insurmountable.

The Music Business Affairs Team is responsible for production, clearance and licensing of music on our original content through to the distribution of music globally. This role will be based in Netflix’s Mumbai office. The role will report to the Principal Counsel, Music Business Affairs, India. The role will have broad responsibility and unique insight into multiple aspects of our business and the opportunity to work with a wide number of internal and external partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsibilities include overseeing the production, clearance and licensing of music on our original content. This includes supporting our external production partners in their negotiation of music deals (eg, composer, artist and songwriter deals, music producer deals, music clearances and music licensing deals, worldwide public domain assessments, record company and music publishing waivers) and handling certain music deals in-house (eg, negotiating commercial terms and structuring, negotiating and drafting agreements with composers, songwriters, artists, performers, producers, record companies and music publishers and negotiating soundtrack album deals);
• This role will also provide music business & legal support and guidance to internal teams, including negotiating and drafting music terms in production services agreements, content licenses and other rights acquisition deals, providing guidance around the creation and delivery of cue sheets, song credits, building out scalable workflows with our production partners, and creating music presentations and educational music sessions to internal teams and external production partners. The role will also work closely with other teams such as the Content team, Marketing team, the Cue Sheets team, and the CMO team (Collective Management Organisations ;

REQUIREMENTS

• The ideal candidate will have PQE (Post Qualified Experience) of 8-10 years experience as a lawyer, preferably in the Media & Entertainment industry or from a law firm, which specializes in Media & Entertainment practice;
• Deep understanding of the music industry and the dynamics among recording artists, songwriters, record companies, music publishers, music producers, and CMOs;
• Experience providing in-house music support in a television, documentary or film production company and/or network is highly preferred;
• Relationships with producers and music labels is preferred;
• Hands-on experience in structuring, negotiating and drafting composer, performer and featured artist agreements, master use and synchronization license agreements, music producer agreements, songwriter agreements, record company and music publishing waiver agreements;
• Thorough understanding of the music nuances in producing locally vs producing for global distribution;
• In-depth knowledge of music copyright and the series/film production process - from development, budgeting, pre-production, production and post production to music clearance/licensing to composer engagement/recording through to delivery, cue sheets, marketing and launch;
• Practical knowledge of the music and entertainment industries in India, including the role of CMOs such as IPRS, and active relationships with music agents, lawyers, managers, music publishers and record companies;
• Understanding of the evolving theatrical, VOD and TV Landscapes.

The successful candidate will also possess the following:

• Fluency (written and spoken) in English
• Exceptional drafting and project management skills
• Clear, concise and effective communication skills
• Highly-collaborative and flexible with the ability to respond positively, innovate and adapt to change and new ideas
• Experience managing heavy workflow independently
• Demonstrated curiosity about how different backgrounds and cultures affect us at work, and a commitment to acknowledge and work past implicit biases that we all have
• Unparalleled organizational skills and an unwavering attention to detail
• Strong analytical capabilities and judgment, even when the rules are unclear and the issues are of first impression
• Ability to work proactively, independently and reliably under tight timeframes in a fast-paced environment
• Resourceful and able to pivot quickly, think practically and be solution-oriented
• Curiosity and eagerness to tackle additional projects as needed, including matters outside of your area of expertise
• Tech-savvy, with a strong sense of how cloud-based document and database systems are used in a modern business environment
• A sense of humour!

Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.