CATALOG OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Primary Wave Music is a premier independent music publisher renowned for representing some of the most iconic and legendary catalogs in the music industry. Known worldwide for housing extraordinary songwriters, artists, and record labels, the company’s impressive roster includes celebrated names such as Whitney Houston, James Brown, Prince, Bob Marley, Stevie Nicks, Talking Heads, Smokey Robinson, Village People, Crowded House, Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, The Doors, Stone Temple Pilots, and Sun Records, among others. This dedication to managing deeply influential and culturally impactful music catalogs positions Primary Wave Music as a leader in the music publishing sector. The company's mission centers on fostering excellence and promoting artists and catalogs that have shaped music history and continue to influence culture globally.

This opportunity is for the role of Catalog Operations Director, which can be based in either Los Angeles or New York City. This position is critical to ensuring the smooth operational transition of newly acquired music catalogs. The person in this role will manage the entire process from the pre-closing stage through onboarding and revenue stabilization. This entails a comprehensive oversight of the rights and royalty sources, ensuring proper management and redirection as necessary. The ideal candidate is expected to bring a deep understanding of global music rights infrastructure and demonstrate strong project management skills, capable of handling multiple complex transitions simultaneously. Interaction with sellers, who may have varying levels of operational expertise, requires not only operational knowledge but also effective communication and collaboration skills.

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Revenue Growth and Income Tracking, the Catalog Operations Director plays a pivotal role in driving operational excellence during catalog acquisitions. Responsibilities include guiding sellers through the pre-closing phase, translating diligence schedules into actionable plans, conducting onboarding sessions, and assisting with documentation and rights registration transfers. The role demands developing standardized procedures for the technical onboarding of catalog assets to ensure all rights types and royalty streams are thoroughly covered. These royalty streams include publishing, master rights, and neighboring rights, involving key entities such as performance rights organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, and other global PROs, as well as neighboring rights organizations including SoundExchange, PPL, and global collective management organizations (CMOs).

In addition to managing transitions, the Catalog Operations Director is tasked with cleansing, validating, and structuring incoming works schedules and relevant metadata such as ISRC, ISWC, and territory splits, ensuring any missing or conflicting metadata is flagged and resolved in collaboration with all stakeholders. Seamless handoffs to income tracking teams once revenue streams are stabilized form a crucial part of the workflow. The role also involves conducting ad-hoc special projects that support management and investor needs, requiring regular and effective communication to keep all parties informed and aligned with real-time operational decisions.

Primary Wave Music offers a competitive salary for this position, ranging between $75,000 and $95,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications. The employment type is full-time with a hybrid work schedule, allowing for flexibility and work-life balance. Employees benefit from an excellent healthcare plan, 401(k) retirement plans, long-term and short-term disability coverage, paid holidays, life insurance, and generous personal and vacation time off. The company fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and creative work environment where employees are encouraged to contribute to the company’s processes, planning, and culture, supporting growth and development within the organization.