Legal Counsel - Music

• Support SoundCloud’s overall business by structuring and negotiating digital licensing agreements with record labels, publishers, collecting societies and PROs
• Negotiate and draft marketing, partnership and joint venture agreements with commercial partners and music industry stakeholders
• Advise the Music, Marketing, Creator services, Royalty Operations, Finance teams, and other stakeholders regarding contractual obligations and restrictions
• Provide legal consultancy on music law questions and track of legal developments in the licensing area in the music industry
• Advise on intellectual property rights issues, including copyright and trademark
• Identify and analyze potential risks related to SoundCloud’s distribution of content on and off its platform, reputational risks in connection with working with certain artists or partners, and various contractual risks
• Lead pre-litigation efforts in investigating, analyzing, and responding to a variety of claims, including copyright, audit, breach of contract, publicity, and trademark claims
• Regularly direct and supervise the work of outside counsel
• Coordinate with product and engineering teams in connection with product development related to music distribution and royalty operations
• Collaborate with other members of the Business & Legal Affairs team to ensure business needs are met

• Qualified lawyer with 3+ years’ post-qualification experience in music and intellectual property licensing, gained at a prominent record label, law firm, or in-house legal department within the music industry
• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent law degree from an accredited institution and maintains an active, in good standing bar license in the U.S. or an equivalent foreign jurisdiction
• Good understanding of the global digital music rights landscape and substantial experience in negotiating international digital license agreements for or with digital services providers and/ or UGC platforms, with a primary focus on Europe
• Expertise in music industry transactions (record, distribution, producer, synchronization, and publishing agreements), artificial intelligence, and Web 3.0 technologies affecting music rights
• Proven ability to negotiate domestic and international commercial contracts, with working knowledge of the Music Modernization Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
• Experience working closely with music, operations, marketing, creative, licensing, and finance, with the ability to communicate complex matters and legal language simply and effectively to non-legal stakeholders
• Good relationships within the music, media, and/or consumer tech industry
• Strategic, commercially focused problem solver with a high tolerance for ambiguity and change
• Experience working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Pragmatic, risk-conscious, and values-driven, with resilience and self-awareness
• Excellent drafting, communication and negotiation skills
• Fluent in English

Ideally one or more other European languages

• Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, and vision plans, as well as mental health resources
• Robust 401k program
• Employee Equity Plan
• Generous professional development allowance
• Creativity and Wellness benefit
• Flexible vacation and public holiday policy where you can take up to 35 days of PTO annually
• 16 paid weeks for all parents (birthing and non-birthing), regardless of gender, to welcome newborns, adopted and foster children
• Various snacks, goodies, and 2 free lunches weekly when at the office