BECOME A MUSIC LICENSING MANAGER

Get oriented with the course structure, meet your instructor, and set clear expectations for the assignments and final project ahead.

• Meet your instructor
• Course structure and expectations
• Assignments and final project overview

Explore the global music licensing ecosystem and master the split between master rights and publishing rights across major territories.

• Global music licensing ecosystem
• Role of licensing in media and entertainment
• How major markets operate (US, UK, Germany, France)
• Key industry players: publishers, labels
• Core rights: sync, master, performance, mechanical

Learn the legal building blocks of music ownership and the exact clearance steps required for cover songs, samples and synchronised media.

• Copyright and ownership fundamentals
• How rights are divided and managed
• Clearing rights for covers and samples
• Key terms in licensing agreements
• Discussion: Negotiating for fair compensation in licensing deals

Master how to locate and verify rights owners using industry databases, then build a tracking system and calculate SAG-AFTRA and AFM union fees.

• Identifying rights owners and ownership structures
• Industry tools and databases for verification
• SAG-AFTRA and AFM union fee calculation
• Rights management and record-keeping best practices
• Demo: Researching ownership using music databases
• Workshop: Calculate union fees and build a licensing tracker

Assignment #1: Rights Research & Clearance Report
Research the ownership of a commercially released song and prepare a full rights overview.

Differentiate between user-generated content and commercial licensing requirements on social platforms, then use AI tools to track how music gets used.

• UGC versus commercial content licensing
• Sourcing music for creators and brands
• Monitoring and monetising unlicensed usage
• Demo: ThirdChair
• Case study: Notable music copyright infringement cases
• Discussion: Whether AI tracking fairly compensates independent artists

Use audience segmentation data to match artists with brands, then calculate the ROI and financial structure behind multi-module marketing campaigns.

• Licensing for brand and entertainment partnerships
• Matching artists and music to audiences
• Licensing across marketing and promotional activity
• Rights requirements for branded content and live events
• Measuring a successful collaboration
• Demo: Calculating an artist collaboration across marketing modules

Master the workflows, creative demands and placement strategies behind music supervision for television, cinema and trailers.

• Licensing workflows across film and television
• Sync licensing, soundtrack placements and scoring
• Selecting and licensing music for TV
• Music strategy for commercials and campaigns
• Case study: The Last of Us, Monster, Dark, Stranger Things and James Blunt – One Hit Wonder

Interpret a creative brief and use Mewo.io to source, curate and pitch a platform-ready music shortlist that clients can approve immediately.

• Finding the right music for any brief
• Building and presenting licensing-ready shortlists
• Mewo.io for professional music search
• Choosing between covers, originals and samples
• Workshop: Curate tracks and edit a video in Mewo.io with three song options

Assignment #2: Creative Music Search & Shortlist
Analyse a creative brief and submit a presentation with a 2–3 track shortlist, selection rationale, ownership requirements and cost estimates.

Build, forecast and manage a full project budget in MAIA Universe, and align every financial model with the deal's royalty structure.

• Setting and managing a licensing budget
• Working with finance and accounting teams
• Forecasting royalty costs and revenue
• Workshop: Budget management exercise using MAIA Universe

Assignment #3: Licensing Strategy & Budget
Build a five-slide presentation covering the licensing timeline, rights, usage scope, territory, budget and key risks for one song.

Practise a live sync deal negotiation, balancing client budgets against rights-holder demands without damaging the relationship.

• Negotiation strategies for licensing deals
• Preparing for negotiations on rights, budget and timeline
• Communicating with clients, rights holders and partners
• Conflict resolution and stakeholder management
• Workshop: Role-playing a real-world negotiation simulation

Assignment #4: Contract Review & Negotiation Memo
Review a sample licensing agreement and submit proposed revisions plus a one-page negotiation strategy memo.

Analyse and redline a standard licensing agreement to catch hidden financial risks, territory pitfalls and scope vulnerabilities before they cost you.

• Key terms and their impact on a deal
• How territory, duration and exclusivity shape a contract
• Rights and obligations of every party
• Common contract risks and how to avoid them
• Workshop: Comparing negotiated terms against the final contract, with group feedback

Build custom AI assistants and workflow automations that streamline rights research, project tracking and industry trend monitoring.

• Trends shaping the licensing industry
• Opportunities in gaming, virtual worlds and creator economies
• AI's role in music discovery and rights management
• Automating royalties, payments and contract workflows
• Workshop: Build a licensing research assistant or automated tracker using ChatGPT, Claude or a custom GPT

Assignment #5: AI & Workflow Automation Challenge
Build two automations — one tracking weekly updates in your focus area, one improving a licensing workflow.

Formulate a personalised job search, portfolio and B2B networking strategy to secure roles across labels, publishers and sync agencies.

• Building a portfolio that demonstrates your value
• Gaining experience through internships and entry points
• Targeted job search strategy for licensing
• Career paths across film, TV, gaming and advertising
• Building credibility and a professional network
• Job boards, events and hiring resources

Assignment #6: Industry Event Calendar
A one-page calendar listing 8–10 relevant conferences for your sector over the next 12 months.