Director of Music Rights

Location: London, Hybrid (1-2 days onsite)  

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent  

About the Team 

Bauer Media’s audio business spans nine European markets, each with its own leadership and local autonomy. The Director of Music Rights sits within the central Audio Line of Business. The role supports the Vice President, Legal & Governance and partners closely with CEOs, Music Directors, and senior stakeholders across all markets, providing central coordination while respecting each market’s uniqueness.

About the Role 

The Director of Music Rights is responsible for maximising the value Bauer Media receives from its music rights arrangements. This includes shaping the overall music rights strategy, supporting negotiations with collecting societies and record labels, monitoring industry developments, and ensuring consistent processes and governance across markets. This is a highly influential role that helps align Bauer’s music rights approach across nine countries while enabling local teams to operate effectively.

Responsibilities 

• Develop and maintain Bauer Media Audio’s overarching music rights strategy, identifying opportunities to optimise costs and improve licensing terms.
• Monitor legal, regulatory, and industry developments affecting music rights across all markets.
• Support Business Units in negotiations with collecting societies, record labels, and other rights holders, including participating in complex negotiations where needed.
• Create and maintain benchmarking tools, best‑practice frameworks, and a central repository of agreements and key data.
• Engage with external bodies including policymakers, regulators, industry groups, trade associations, and collecting societies.
• Lead strategic music‑rights projects, prepare reporting for senior leadership, and support budget planning.
• Build strong relationships with CEOs, Music Directors, and internal teams across markets, acting as a trusted advisor while balancing central and local needs.

Qualifications & Requirements 

• Deep expertise in music rights, licensing models, copyright frameworks, and the role of collecting societies.
• Extensive experience negotiating music rights and licence agreements at a senior or strategic level.
• Strategic thinker able to develop long‑term, cross‑market approaches aligned with business priorities.
• Excellent communicator skilled at simplifying complex concepts for diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with experience managing senior stakeholders and navigating differing viewpoints.

About Bauer Media Group

We are a media business focused on creating content that matters to millions of people across Europe. Our offering extends from print and online publishing to audio broadcasting and entertainment, alongside investments in other media related sectors. With more than 500 million copies sold each year, we are one of Europe’s largest Publishers. From women’s and celebrities’ magazines to TV listings to food and special interest, we own some of the most popular publishing brands in Germany, UK, Poland and France – both digital and print. But not only that. Reaching over 61 million listeners weekly, we operate over 150 radio and podcast brands in nine countries, spanning the UK, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Portugal. Family-owned in the 5th generation, Bauer Media focuses on the long-term, with a consumer-first mindset that guides us across our diverse portfolio. Our workforce of 12,000 shares a common purpose: to deliver content and services that enrich people‘s everyday lives.

What’s in it for you

• You’ll have 28 days holiday, bank holidays & 2 volunteer days to use.
• Your development matters, so access to our internal training provider – Bauer Academy, is a huge win.
• We have enhanced Maternity/Adoption, Paternity and Shared Parental Leave Pay.
• You’ll have the opportunity for flexible working.
• And much more! Find the full details of our benefits here

We are an international employer and equal opportunities are important to us. That's why we welcome everyone in their uniqueness, regardless of e.g. religion, gender, skin color, disability in our house.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or a long term health condition, and need us to make any reasonable adjustments or do anything differently during any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing careershub@bauermedia.co.uk

We are actively recruiting for this position, so the job advert may close earlier than expected.

If you have any feedback regarding our UK recruitment process, please email careershub@bauermedia.co.uk we would love to hear from you.

London, GB, NW1 2PL