Manager, Music Rights

The Manager, Music Rights at NBCUniversal will join the Music Business & Legal Affairs team, overseeing music matters across all NBCUniversal businesses. This role focuses on managing operations and administrative services for comprehensive music clearance and licensing functions, particularly for television programming within Universal Television Entertainment. Key responsibilities include drafting and negotiating music licenses, advising on intellectual property and copyright issues, processing music-related requests, and maintaining music usage databases. This position does not involve music creative or supervision duties.

Must Have

• Draft, negotiate, review and track music licenses and other music agreements.
• Partner with Business & Legal Affairs to advise clients on intellectual property, copyright, and rights-related issues.
• Interact with various departments on budgeting, invoices, payroll, union obligations and deliverables.
• Review and process quote requests, pick-up letters, master use and synchronization licenses, payments, vendor set-ups.
• Research music for all details relating to clearance and tracking.
• Review and clear music use in programming to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate across all NBCU platforms in the development and implementation of technological solutions.
• Maintain tracking grids, cost charts, databases and other systems for all music usage, licensing and related needs.
• Review, analyze, revise and submit cue sheets.
• Administer union inquiries associated with licensed music (e.g., AFM, SAG-AFTRA) and generate reports.
• Communicate and maintain relationships with internal partners, publishers, labels, music libraries and other vendors.
• Partner with clients and colleagues to implement best practices and formulate new processes.

Good to Have

• Knowledge and understanding of copyright rules related to the music industry.
• Diversified knowledge of contemporary music as well as classical music catalogs and their applicable publishing companies and record labels.
• Established relationships with and experience clearing and licensing music from major publishing companies, record labels and music libraries.
• Tech-savvy, with a strong sense of how cloud-based documents, databases and other systems are used in a modern business environment.
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365, contract management systems, payment and vendor setup tools, and music clearance and cue sheet systems such as Qwire, SynchTank and SoundMouse.
• Highly motivated self-starter with a strong track record of successful project execution.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple clients with competing deadlines and business priorities.
• Outstanding analytic and organizational skills, including excellent drafting and negotiation skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; experience communicating with various audiences and levels of management with strong client support and service orientation.
• Experience managing or mentoring junior staff is a plus.

Perks & Benefits

• Company sponsored benefits (medical, dental and vision insurance)
• 401(k)
• Paid leave
• Tuition reimbursement
• Variety of other discounts and perks
• Bonus eligible

Company Description

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our theme parks and consumer experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, USA Network, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Universal Studio Group, and have world-renowned theme parks and attractions through Universal Destinations & Experiences. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world.

Comcast NBCUniversal has announced its intent to create a new publicly traded company ('Versant') comprised of most of NBCUniversal's cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025.

Job Description

Role Purpose:

The NBCUniversal Music Business & Legal Affairs team oversees music matters across all NBCUniversal businesses, including Filmed Entertainment, Media, Sports, News and Destinations & Experiences. The Manager, Music Rights will be responsible for managing the operations and administrative services related to comprehensive music clearance and licensing functions for NBCUniversal. This includes television programming across Universal Television Entertainment, encompassing Universal Studios Group (USG), NBC Entertainment, Bravo and Peacock. This position does not include any music creative or music supervision responsibilities, such as consulting on music placement in productions.

Responsibilities:

• Draft, negotiate, review and track music licenses and other music agreements as needed
• Partner with Business & Legal Affairs to help advise clients on intellectual property issues, copyright infringement, clearance, rights-related and regulatory issues, public domain analyses, union issues, performing rights, strategy, risk analysis and other matters arising from programming
• Interact with various departments on budgeting, invoices, payroll, union obligations and deliverables
• Review and process quote requests, pick-up letters, master use and synchronization licenses, payments, vendor set-ups and other music licensing-related matters across different productions
• Research music for all details relating to clearance and tracking; including publishers, record labels, performing rights societies and types of usage
• Review and clear music use in programming to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards
• Collaborate across all NBCU platforms in the development and implementation of technological solutions to best serve internal clients
• Maintain tracking grids, cost charts, databases and other systems for all music usage, licensing and related needs across NBCUniversal
• Review, analyze, revise and submit cue sheets
• Administer union inquiries associated with licensed music (e.g., AFM, SAG-AFTRA) and generate reports
• Communicate and maintain relationships with internal partners, publishers, labels, music libraries and other vendors
• Partner with clients and colleagues to implement best practices and formulate new processes
• Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or comparable work experience
• 4+ years of music licensing and/or clearance experience or related field

Desired Characteristics:

• Knowledge and understanding of copyright rules related to the music industry
• Diversified knowledge of contemporary music as well as classical music catalogs and their applicable publishing companies and record labels
• Established relationships with and experience clearing and licensing music from major publishing companies, record labels and music libraries, along with other channels such as independent companies, management, attorneys and agents
• Tech-savvy, with a strong sense of how cloud-based documents, databases and other systems are used in a modern business environment, including familiarity with Microsoft 365, contract management systems, payment and vendor setup tools, and music clearance and cue sheet systems such as Qwire, SynchTank and SoundMouse
• Highly motivated self-starter with a strong track record of successful project execution
• Ability to effectively manage multiple clients with competing deadlines and business priorities
• Outstanding analytic and organizational skills, including excellent drafting and negotiation skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; experience communicating with various audiences and levels of management with strong client support and service orientation
• Experience managing or mentoring junior staff is a plus

Additional Requirements:

• Must be willing to work in Universal City, CA or New York, NY; some travel may be required
• Must be able to work flexible hours due to production schedules, including evenings and holidays, as needed

Hybrid: This position has been designated as hybrid, which currently requires contributing from the office a minimum of three days per week. Beginning January 5, 2026, hybrid employees will be required to work from the office a minimum of four days per week. The Company reserves the right to change in-office requirements at any time.

This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Learn more about the benefits offered by NBCUniversal by visiting the Benefits page of the Careers website.

Salary range: $75,000 - $95,000 (bonus eligible).

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

NBCUniversal will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative For Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to AccessibilitySupport@nbcuni.com.