Manager, U.S. Publishing Licensing

About the position The Music Mission team owns Spotify’s end-to-end proposition for music creators and the experiences they create for fans. The team is dedicated to building tools and services to enable creation, promotion, expression, and monetization at scale. The U.S. Publishing Licensing team sits at the center of Spotify’s relationships with music publishers, rights holders, performing rights organizations, and industry partners. We help shape the commercial and statutory frameworks that power Spotify’s music offering in the United States. Our work blends licensing strategy, regulatory expertise, commercial judgment, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure scalable, forward-looking outcomes for creators and fans.

Responsibilities

• Lead negotiations for U.S. publishing licensing agreements and amendments, owning strategy, positioning, and execution from initial outreach through signature.
• Structure and evaluate digital licensing deals, assessing commercial terms against statutory frameworks and evolving market standards.
• Apply deep expertise in Section 115, associated regulations and the MLC framework to inform Spotify’s broader commercial strategy.
• Translate complex regulatory concepts into clear internal guidance for Legal, Finance, Royalty, and Product partners.
• Develop licensor communications, FAQs, and internal playbooks that help scale knowledge across teams.
• Analyze deal economics, build financial models, and provide data-driven insights to support negotiations and leadership decision-making.
• Contribute to the evolution of licensing workflows by identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and operational clarity through technology-enabled solutions.
• Stay close to industry trends, legislative developments, and digital market shifts to proactively inform strategy.

Requirements

• You have 7+ years of experience in music publishing and digital licensing.
• You have a deep understanding of U.S. mechanical licensing, including Section 115 and the statutory licensing landscape. You will also have a deep understanding of the U.S. performance licensing landscape.
• You have led or materially supported commercial licensing negotiations with publishers or digital service providers.
• You are comfortable interpreting regulatory frameworks and translating them into practical business strategies.
• You bring strong analytical skills and can evaluate deal economics with rigor and sound commercial judgment.
• You communicate clearly and confidently with both external partners and senior internal stakeholders.
• You have worked cross-functionally with Legal, Royalty, Finance, or Product teams in a complex organization.
• You are curious about how emerging technologies can support smarter workflows and more scalable licensing operations.

Benefits

• health insurance
• six-month paid parental leave
• 401(k) retirement plan
• monthly meal allowance
• 23 paid days off
• paid flexible holidays
• paid sick leave

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