Senior Counsel, Music

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

The Company operates Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world, and Specs Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to making computing more human, in addition to Bitmoji, Saturn, and other digital services.

Snap Inc. is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company’s three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles.

The Legal Team is Snap’s dedicated in-house law firm, risk consultant, advocate, thought partner, and all-around advisor. This team helps Snap do the right thing the right way, make better decisions, understand and manage risks, and creatively navigate challenges, both external and internal. We partner with Snap team members on a wide array of matters, including privacy, product, IP, commercial transactions, corporate governance, employment, acquisitions, litigation, policy, and social impact.  We value the power of diversity, as we continually strive to build an innovative and inclusive leadership culture centered on Snap's values of Kind, Smart, and Creative.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Counsel, Music with deep expertise in music licensing, music publishing, copyright, and digital-media transactions to provide legal support for Snap’s global music initiatives. As a member of the Legal team and working from our Santa Monica, CA or New York, NY offices, you’ll play a key role in Snap’s commercial transactions and advise teams throughout the company on legal issues spanning the breadth of Snap’s products and services.

This is a high-impact role at the intersection of law, technology, entertainment, and product. You will serve as a trusted legal advisor to Music Partnerships and senior business and product leaders, while partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Finance, Accounting, Policy, Privacy, Litigation, and other Legal teams. You will structure, draft, negotiate, and interpret complex agreements with record labels, music publishers, performance rights organizations, collective management organizations, music vendors, and other rights holders around the world.

You will also advise on the legal and business implications of new music-enabled experiences, including evolving product features, content and rights-management systems, generative AI initiatives, and other commercial opportunities. The ideal candidate combines deep music-industry expertise with excellent judgment, strong business instincts, and the ability to turn complex legal issues into clear, practical recommendations.

What you’ll do:

• Lead Snap’s legal strategy for global music licensing and related music partnerships, including the negotiation and renewal of complex agreements with labels, publishers, CMOs, PROs, and other rights holders.
• Advise Music Partnerships and senior leaders on deal strategy and other high-stakes commercial terms.
• Counsel Product, Engineering, and other cross-functional teams on how music rights, contractual restrictions, copyright requirements, and operational controls apply to Snap’s products and services.
• Advise on generative AI and other evolving technology issues involving music copyright law.
• Develop practical approaches to copyright compliance and other risk-mitigation measures across Snap’s products and services.
• Anticipate and manage disputes, regulatory inquiries, litigation threats, and other escalations involving music rights, working closely with Litigation, Policy, Privacy, and outside counsel as appropriate.
• Translate complex and changing legal frameworks into clear guidance for business teams across regions.
• Help develop junior lawyers and oversee outside counsel.
• Identify opportunities to expand or optimize Snap’s music rights, product capabilities, and commercial offerings while appropriately managing legal and business risk.
• ​​Handle other content, creator and media partnerships agreements, as well as other projects, at the discretion of the leads of the Snap legal commercial team.
• Contribute to broader Commercial Legal and company initiatives as needed.
• Have a deep understanding of data privacy, intellectual property, and AI issues, and how they impact Snap’s products and services.
• Provide tactical and strategic advice to Snap business and product leaders related to commercial transactions.
• Advise business clients on Snap policies, business strategy, and legal issues and risks.
• Assist in creating and improving agreements, templates, and policies for Snap as we develop new products and enter new markets.
• Exercise sound judgment when negotiating business and legal terms.
• Occasionally collaborate with outside counsel.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with colleagues from every part of the company.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Deep expertise in music licensing and publishing, including practical knowledge of sound recording, musical composition, performance, synchronization, mechanical, neighboring, and other relevant rights.
• Significant experience structuring, drafting, negotiating, and advising on complex digital music and media transactions involving multinational labels, publishers, PROs, CMOs, collecting societies, distributors, vendors, and other rights holders.
• Strong understanding of copyright law and the legal, operational, and commercial issues associated with music on digital platforms.
• Meaningful experience counseling on emerging technology, generative AI, platform compliance, content-moderation or rights-management systems, or other novel product and copyright issues.
• Excellent legal and business judgment, with the ability to make sound recommendations in ambiguous, high-pressure situations.
• Ability to operate autonomously, set priorities, and manage multiple complex matters and deadlines simultaneously.
• Outstanding negotiation, drafting, analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to distill complex legal concepts into concise, actionable guidance for senior executives and cross-functional partners.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to negotiate firmly while maintaining productive long-term partnerships.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects, influence without authority, and collaborate effectively across Legal and the broader company.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing lawyers and managing outside counsel is a plus.
• Hard-working, pragmatic, collaborative, and inspired by Snap’s products, culture, and mission.
• Excellent analytical, communication, organizational, negotiation, and drafting skills.
• Excellent legal and business judgment, critical thinking, and the ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously.
• Ability to drive collaboration and share knowledge and expertise.
• Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to accommodate tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to identify and resolve legal issues quickly.
• Ability to use AI resources to drive accuracy and efficiency in daily work.

Minimum Qualifications:

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in a United States state bar, or otherwise qualified to be a registered in-house counsel under California’s multi-jurisdictional practice program
• 8+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial experience at a media or technology company, entertainment company, music business, or law firm with a sophisticated music, copyright, media, or digital-transactions practice.
• Significant experience negotiating complex music licensing or publishing agreements, including working directly with major record labels, music publishers, PROs, CMOs, collecting societies, or other global music rights holders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5+ years of in-house experience advising a consumer technology, online platform, streaming, social-media, media, or entertainment business.
• Experience advising on generative AI, music technology, content operations, rights-management systems, or product launches involving music.
• Experience managing a portfolio of high-value, high-risk transactions and coordinating global outside counsel.
• Experience leading or mentoring a legal team in a fast-paced, globally distributed environment.

"Default Together" Policy at Snap: At Snap Inc. we believe that being together in person helps us build our culture faster, reinforce our values, and serve our community, customers and partners better through dynamic collaboration. To reflect this, we practice a “default together” approach and expect our team members to work in an office 4+ days per week. 

At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law (by example, the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, where applicable).

Our Benefits: Snap Inc. is its own community, so we’ve got your back! We do our best to make sure you and your loved ones have everything you need to be happy and healthy, on your own terms. Our benefits are built around your needs and include paid parental leave, comprehensive medical coverage, emotional and mental health support programs, and compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

Compensation

In the United States, work locations are assigned a pay zone which determines the salary range for the position. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. The starting pay may be negotiable within the salary range for the position. These pay zones may be modified in the future.

Zone A (CA, WA, NYC):

The base salary range for this position is $251,000-$377,000 annually.

 

Zone B:

The base salary range for this position is $238,000-$358,000 annually.

Zone C:

The base salary range for this position is $213,000-$320,000 annually.

This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.

If you believe this job description is missing required pay transparency information, please submit a report through this form: Job Description Pay Range Disclosure.