Job Description
Senior Manager - Legal & Business Affairs

 

At BMG, we recognise the power of music and are dedicated to ensuring it thrives. We are a community of artists, songwriters, and partners, working together to create music and build lasting careers. Here, music creators find not just a business partner, but a trusted home where their work shapes culture and leaves a legacy. Together, we evolve and grow.

We believe that creativity flourishes when people feel they belong. That means building a culture where everyone can show up as themselves, contribute freely, and be treated with fairness and respect - whatever their background, identity, or life story. We’re committed to creating a workplace where individuality is valued, inclusion is intentional, and everyone has the chance to grow. All applicants to BMG will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

 

Senior Manager - Legal & Business Affairs

Fixed Term Contract - 12 Months

London 


Your Mission at BMG

We’re looking for an experienced music lawyer to join our Legal & Business Affairs team, providing dedicated legal support across our UK recorded music and publishing operations. You’ll work on a broad range of agreements and rights-related matters, ensuring our deals are clear, fair, and aligned with both creative and commercial goals. This role offers the chance to work closely with artists, songwriters, and internal teams, supporting the day-to-day legal needs of a fast-paced, forward-thinking music company. 


What You’ll Be Doing

  • Negotiate and prepare a wide range of agreements in recorded music and publishing, including exclusive songwriting contracts, administration agreements, side letters, amendments, novations, writer buy-out deals, joint ventures, and sub-publishing arrangements.
  • Draft and negotiate exclusive recording agreements, producer, mixer, and featured artist contracts, as well as video, artwork, and photographer agreements.
  • Assist with more complex synchronisation (synch) negotiations and contracts.
  • Advise on intellectual property rights relating to compositions, recordings, and other creative assets.
  • Review and negotiate controlled composition provisions.
  • Support the Legal & Business Affairs team with new business initiatives and emerging projects.
  • Work closely with other departments — including Royalties & Copyright, Finance, A&R, Investments, and Operations — to address contract interpretation, deal structuring, disputes, and general legal queries.

 

What You Bring

  • Qualified lawyer in England and Wales with significant experience as a music industry lawyer, either in-house or in private practice.
  • Extensive background in negotiating and drafting complex recording and publishing agreements.
  • Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to build consensus.
  • Self-aware, values-driven, and able to balance local priorities with a global perspective.
  • Well-established contacts and trusted relationships across the music industry.
  • Proven experience working effectively in a fast-paced environment.

 

What Would Be A Plus

  • Minimum of 3 years PQE.
  • Previous experience at a major music publisher, record label, or large independent.
  • Experience in dispute resolution within the music industry.

Now, What’s in It for You? 

  • 25 days annual leave plus 3 days between Christmas & New Year 
  • Subsidised gym membership 
  • Private Health Insurance 
  • Competitive pension scheme 
  • Annual gig allowance 
  • Artist showcases and access to exclusive music events 
  • Cycle to Work scheme 
  • Season Ticket Loan 
  • Employee Assistance Programme for wellbeing support 
  • A fun, inclusive, and sociable office environment 


Ready to shape the future of music?

 

Founded in 2008, BMG reimagined the relationship between music companies, songwriters, and artists by offering fairer contracts, greater creative freedom, and unparalleled transparency in royalties and licensing. Now the fourth-largest music company in the world, BMG combines human creativity with cutting-edge technology to connect music with global audiences.

With 20 offices across 13 key markets, BMG represents more than three million songs and recordings, including some of the most iconic catalogs and works from leading artists and songwriters such as The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, George Harrison, Blondie, and more. BMG is wholly owned and privately held by the international media, services, and education company Bertelsmann, whose other content businesses include the entertainment company RTL Group and the trade book publisher Penguin Random House.

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we are dedicated to ensuring that candidates with disabilities are given a fair opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. Therefore, we guarantee an interview to applicants with disabilities who meet the essential criteria for the role. Please note – there may be exceptional circumstances where the volume of applicants means we cannot interview all eligible candidates. If you have any questions about the Guaranteed Interview Scheme or would like to confirm your eligibility, please reach out to us at career.uk@bmg.com.

 

Company: BMG Rights Management Services (UK) Limited | Job ID: 286831