Erin M. Jacobson is an American attorney[1] and writer.[2] Jacobson specializes in music industry intellectual property law, representing different music award-winning artists.

Erin M. Jacobson
EducationUniversity of Southern California (BA)
Southwestern Law School (JD)
OccupationAttorney
Websitethemusicindustrylawyer.com

Jacobson has been featured on Billboard and Music Business Worldwide, as well as other music-related magazines for her work as a music lawyer.

Early life and education

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Jacobson attended the University of Southern California.[3] Jacobson later attended Southwestern Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctor. While there, she served as the president of Southwestern’s Entertainment and Sports Law Society, the national student liaison to the ABA Forum Committee on Entertainment and Sports Industries Law, and the student liaison to Southwestern for the Beverly Hills Bar Association."[4] In 2020, Southwestern published an article that mentioned Jacobson as being one of their alumni attorneys who received the distinct honor of being on Billboard's Top Music Lawyers list.[5] After passing the California Bar Exam, she opened her own law practice in Beverly Hills, California,[6][7] acting as CEO.[8]

Career

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Jacobson worked in the publicity department of Capitol Records, as director of promotions for AO Recordings. She worked for Rick Dees, helping him produce Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown, the longest continuously running countdown (featuring pop music) in the world. She worked at Bug Music and other music publishing companies, as well as several music law firms.[9][10]

She has handled music legal matters involving Elvis Presley, The Ronettes, Sam Cooke, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Prince, and others.[11][12]

Jacobson was featured in the book Leaving the Building, by Eamonn Forde[13] about complex issues faced by estates of famous musicians, including that of Elvis Presley.[14] Forde remarks Jacobson's emphasis on the challenge of getting artists to plan estates.[dubiousdiscuss]

In 2020, Jacobson published a book, Don't Get Screwed! How to Protect Yourself as an Independent Musician. She discusses copyright, royalties, and contracts.[15] She founded Indie Artist Resource (IAR), website providing contract templates and educational resources for independent musicians, stating her goal was to educate independent artists through the legal barriers that exist.[16][17]

Billboard recognized her work on theme songs, holiday classics, amongst other music, as Jacobson voiced her concern for AI an its legal implications in her field.[18]

The Los Angeles Times recognizes her as an "attorney specializing in music industry intellectual property,"[19] taking part in negotiations between music artists and their labels or publichers, representing[20] award-winning musicians.[21]

She was featured in Music Business Worldwide's Inspiring Women interview series, chronicling her rise in the music business and thoughts on the music industry's most pressing issues.[22] In an article on the Women's International Music Network, Jacobson expressed her belief that some refuse to take advice from women and the need for women to work together in a predominantly male field.[23]

Jacobson was featured in an issue of Shoutout LA magazine where she expressed personal and business interests; Jacobson acknowledged the role of her mother in her success.

In 2017, Jacobson wrote a piece for Forbes on Spotify's conflict with the music industry.[24][25]

Jacobson was named to Billboard magazine's Top Music Lawyers list for five consecutive years, from 2020 to 2024.[26][12][27][28][29]

References

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  1. ^ "Erin M. Jacobson". State Bar of California. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  2. ^ Natalia, Esther Christine (October 20, 2018). "Dari Mana Para Musisi Hasilkan Uang?". CNBC Indonesia. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Networking – It's not a dirty word!". USC. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Erin Jacobson". My Music Masterclass. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Southwestern Alumni Chart on Billboard's 2020 Top Music Lawyers List". Southwestern Law School. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Erin Michele Jacobson". Martindale. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Erin M. Jacobson". Super Lawyers. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Meet Erin M. Jacobson, Esq.: The Music Industry Lawyer". Shoutout LA. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Life and Work with Erin M. Jacobson, Esq". Voyage LA. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Erin Jacobson". My Music Masterclass. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Revealed: Billboard's 2020 Top Music Lawyers". Billboard. July 27, 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Revealed: Billboard's 2021 Top Music Lawyers". Billboard. April 5, 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Community Highlights: Meet Erin M. Jacobson, Esq". Voyage LA. March 6, 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  14. ^ Forde, Eamonn (October 28, 2021). Leaving the Building: The Lucrative Afterlife of Music Estates (First ed.). London, UK: Omnibus Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-1913172107.
  15. ^ "Don't Get Screwed with Erin M. Jacobson". ASMAC. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  16. ^ Jacobson, Erin M. (November 19, 2020). Don't Get Screwed! How to Protect Yourself as an Independent Musician (First ed.). Beverly Hills: Indie Artist Resource. p. 86. ISBN 978-1736110911.
  17. ^ "Indie Artist Resource". IAR. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Billboard's 2023 Top Music Lawyers Revealed". Billboard. April 3, 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  19. ^ Brown, August (2021-05-06). "A homeless LA musician helped create a Daft Punk classic. So why hasn't he seen a dime?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  20. ^ Sumanac-Johnson, Deana (July 5, 2019). "Masters matter: Taylor Swift's feud shows why ownership can be crucial to musicians". CBC News. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  21. ^ "Meet Erin M. Jacobson, Esq". CanvasRebel. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  22. ^ Jones, Rhian (March 28, 2022). "'Our Industry Has Become So Meshed with Technology, Yet We're Still Battling to Get Many of Those Companies to See the Value of Music.'". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  23. ^ Paone, Jenna (5 December 2017). "Front And Center: Erin M. Jacobson, The Music Industry Lawyer". The Women's International Music Network. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  24. ^ LLP, Fox Rothschild (2017-10-10). "Erin M. Jacobson: How Spotify Has Waged War With The Music Industry". Pay or Play. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
  25. ^ Entertainment, Legal. "How Spotify Has Waged War With The Music Industry". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
  26. ^ "Revealed: Billboard's 2020 Top Music Lawyers". Billboard. July 27, 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  27. ^ "Revealed: Billboard's 2022 Top Music Lawyers". Billboard. March 28, 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  28. ^ "Billboard's 2023 Top Music Lawyers Revealed". Billboard. April 3, 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  29. ^ Donahue, Bill (April 1, 2024). "Billboard's 2024 Top Music Lawyers Revealed". Billboard. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
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