Sr. Manager, Business Affairs

Who We Are

UnitedMasters is building a marketplace that connects artists, brands and fans - empowering artists to earn and grow. UnitedMasters has taken the bold step of building a music distribution service that, radically, puts artists first - disrupting the legacy music business by letting up-and-coming artists distribute their music directly to fans through streaming services while maintaining ownership of their master recording rights and up to 100% of royalties. Through the combination of UnitedMasters’ music distribution platform and its deep ties to brands, UnitedMasters enables independent artists and change-makers to grow and earn unlike any other platform.

The UnitedMasters team is made up of musicians, marketers, engineers, and storytellers with backgrounds from YouTube, SoundCloud, Pandora, Facebook, Uber, Dropbox, Complex, VICE, and more. We work hand in hand with the award-winning creative teams that forge those innovative partnerships at Translation (our in-house creative advertising agency).

We are looking for a Senior Manager, Business Affairs to join UnitedMasters!

 

Role Overview

 

A dedicated Business Affairs specialist responsible for leading the day to day execution of music Business Affairs and clearance matters. This role provides expert ownership of side-artist agreements, label waivers, sample and interpolation clearances, producer related documentation, and release readiness. Working closely with Artist Operations, Legal, A&R, Finance, Marketing, and external partners, this position helps ensure releases are properly structured, documented, negotiated, and cleared before release.

 

What You’ll Do 

 

• Lead the end to end execution of music Business Affairs and clearance processes, ensuring releases are legally and operationally ready prior to release
• Negotiate and manage side artist agreements, label waivers, and related deal terms (including NAR, PPD, market share, and other commercial provisions)
• Identify potential sample and interpolation issues and coordinate clearance efforts with internal stakeholders and external clearance vendors
• Support producer and featured artist agreement matters as they relate to clearance and release readiness
• Serve as the Business Affairs validation checkpoint within the release process, helping to confirm required approvals, documentation, and clearance terms before release
• Partner closely with Artist Operations, Legal, A&R, Marketing, Commerce, Finance, and external managers, attorneys, labels, and rights holders to resolve Business Affairs matters
• Act as the subject matter expert on music clearance mechanics, providing guidance across Artist Operations, Legal, and Finance
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve standardized Business Affairs documentation, templates, and operating procedures
• Partner with Artist Operations to support and continuously improve the company's release gate and clearance workflow
• Identify operational risks and proactively resolve clearance issues before they impact release timelines

 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

 

• 5+ years of Business Affairs experience within a record label, music company, or comparable music industry environment
• Demonstrated experience with side artist agreements, label waivers, sample and interpolation clearances, producer agreements, and music release workflows
• Strong understanding of master and publishing rights from a Business Affairs and clearance perspective
• Experience negotiating with record labels, artist management, attorneys, publishers, and other external rights holders
• Experience working cross functionally with Artist Operations, A&R, Legal, Finance, and external business partners in a music release environment
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills across internal and external stakeholders
• Highly organized, detail oriented, and capable of independently managing multiple high priority matters simultaneously
• Ability to balance legal, operational, and commercial considerations within a fast paced release environment
• Excellent communication and relationship-management skills across internal and external stakeholders

About UnitedMasters, Inc.

UnitedMasters Inc. represents the creative solutions company, Translation, and the leading software and services platform for independent creators, UnitedMasters. UnitedMasters enables ownership, exposure, and new paths for financial return for independent creators, while Translation helps brands leverage the power of contemporary culture to achieve transformational growth. Combined, UnitedMasters, Inc. is the world’s leading marketplace for cultural capital, connecting independent artists and brands to realize a future in which all creators own their future. Backed by Alphabet, Andreessen Horowitz, and Apple, UnitedMasters, Inc. is reimagining how brands and artists come together to tell their stories, build profitable growth, and push culture forward.

Salary Hiring Range: $120K- $145K

Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide (e.g. in some cases that may include bonus, stock options, 401k match).

Individual pay rate decisions are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company.

We expect the majority of the candidates who are offered roles at our company to fall healthily throughout the range based on these factors.

The range above is for the expectations as laid out in the job description, however we are often open to a wide variety of profiles, and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced (or more senior) than this job description as posted. If that ends up being the case, the updated salary range will be communicated with you as a candidate.

The salary range above is for the NY/CA. As a company, we have a location based strategy, which means the salary range could be lower or higher than this if the role is hired in another location.