Senior Manager, Sample Clearance & Infringements, Rights Administration
Position: Senior Manager, Sample Clearance & Infringements
Organization: Hipgnosis Song Management
Location: London
Reporting to: VP Rights Administration and Music Publishing
About Hipgnosis Song Management
HSM is a leading music investment and song management company that specializes in acquiring and managing music catalogues. Founded in 2018, it manages songs worth c. $3 billion, including many of the greatest songs of all time, optimising revenue generation, driving consumption and advocating on behalf of songwriters. We are committed to preserving and enhancing the legacy of some of the world’s greatest songs while providing innovative solutions to our clients.
Role Overview
We are looking for a dedicated and experienced professional to take charge of the Sample Clearance and Infringement function at Hipgnosis. In this role, you will manage all incoming and outgoing sample and interpolation requests related to our music repertoire.
You will be responsible for overseeing the entire lifecycle of these requests in collaboration with our administrative partners, ensuring smooth facilitation, negotiation, documentation, tracking, and the accurate registration and collection related to all clearances. You will also manage any infringement matters and disputes that arise.
The role would include managing clearances across both publishing rights and master rights, but with a focus on the former. There will also be other ad hoc work to contribute to across the Legal and Business Affairs and Rights Administration team; so paralegal experience, or experience within a Copyright/Royalties role would also be advantageous.
Key Responsibilities
- Project Management: Oversee and accurately track all clearance projects, proactively managing incoming requests, Creative Team usages, and infringement matters across the repertoire.
- Negotiation: Lead negotiations of clearance terms, either directly or through administrative partners, utilizing industry knowledge and experience to secure optimal terms.
- Invoicing and Documentation: Issue invoices for clearance fees and formalize clearance agreements in writing, ensuring accurate documentation.
- Registration and Compliance: Ensure all new clearances are registered promptly with Performance Rights Organizations (PROs), Sub-Publishers, and incumbent publishers.
- Clearance Discovery: Actively identify and pursue usages that haven’t been cleared where Hipgnosis holds rights.
- Industry Relations: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with industry stakeholders to streamline the clearance of uncontrolled shares.
The ideal candidate would
- Be proficiency in Music Copyright Databases (e.g., Music Maestro)
- Have strong command of Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook and Excel)
- Have experience with CRM tools (e.g., Monday.com, Jira)
- Have the ability to manage a variable workload effectively
- Have strong attention to detail
- Have excellent communication skills
- Have 5+ years of experience in a similar role, negotiating sample/infringement clearances and usages
- Have deep understanding of music copyright and ability to interpret publishing agreements
- Have comprehensive knowledge of the global publishing landscape, licensing, and royalty collection
Note that having established contacts with publishers and labels as well as experience managing master rights and neighbouring rights would be a plus.
Additional Information:
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days in our office.
Application Process
Interested candidates are invited to submit a CV and cover letter detailing their relevant experience and why they are passionate about this role to our HR Partner – Anne-Laure at anne-laure@hipgnosissongs.com by close of business on October 31st.
Hipgnosis Song Management is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
This job description is designed to outline the main duties and responsibilities of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all tasks, and the post-holder may be required to carry out additional duties as necessary to meet the needs of the organization.
