On today's episode, Wisdom steps behind the curtain of the music business with Jess Loper, a seasoned veteran in the A&R and publishing world.
In this insightful episode, Jess shares her wealth of knowledge and experience, demystifying the often-opaque realms of artists and repertoire (A&R), music publishing, and sync licensing.
From scouting talent to navigating the intricate landscape of royalties and recoupment, Jess offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the industry. Whether you're an aspiring artist, songwriter, or simply a music enthusiast, this episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the business side of music.
Jess Loper began her career in the newsroom serving as an Editor with Business Wire who services the Associated Press with press releases for publicly held companies. From there she took her love of words into the music industry in the A&R department at Capitol CMG/Universal Music. In this position, she was an integral part of the production process for CMG’s roster of artists (Amy Grant, Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, TobyMac, Passion/sixstepsrecords) while also working with business affairs, union negotiations, and film & tv licensing for the label.
In 2017, she joined the team at Gotee Records as VP of Brand Management (Gotee Records) and Publishing (Emack Music). Gotee Records and Emack Music are a record label and a music publishing and administration company started in 1994 under the leadership of artist, TobyMac and label president, Joey Elwood. In this position, she handled A&R for artists Jon Reddick, Hollyn, Aaron Cole, Joseph O’Brien, Charly Beathard, and RENEE, cultivated writer relationships for Emack writers Tyrus Morgan, Hunter Leath, Ben Shive, and Lindsey Sweat, assisted with film and tv placements (ESPN, Fox Sports, ABC, NBC & VH1) and handled administration for Man Cub Music (Bryan Fowler & Micah Kuiper).
Most recently, she launched Without Labels Collective, a company that focuses on music supervision and licensing for film & television (The Jesus Music Documentary, Trinity Broadcasting Networks, The Huckabee Show, Compassion International, and Thrive just to name a few). This new venture is also focused on educating and supporting songwriters & artists on the business side of the creative process. She serves on the Board of the CMPA and works closely with the GMA Dove Awards.
Outside of her career in the music industry, her writing has been featured in the Huffington Post & Business Week Magazine among other digital news outlets and printed publications. Her greatest role in life has been getting to be a mom to Brody (15) & Kellen (12). In the Spring of ’22, she married her favorite songwriter, Brent Loper, on the front porch of their little farmhouse in Culleoka, TN
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