“Metadata: What You Need To Know To Get Paid”

Date/Time
Date(s) -

04/08/2025

Location
Zoom

You’ve heard this snazzy word, metadata, thrown out there and wondered – well what does that mean, or even matter to me? It can be the difference between making a living as the artist, writer, manager, producer, etc. that you are, and having to go take that day job you kind of hate! Join us as we speak with a panel of experts on what information you need to be keeping track of – from titles and ISRCs, from splits to IPIs – so that you and all your collaborators can get paid for their hard work while creating music.

Moderator:
Janelle Hawkes | Publishing Royalty Manager, beatBread

Panelists:
Brian Durant | Senior Director, Music Publisher Rights Management, SoundExchange
Laurie Geltman | Musician, Singer/Songwriter, Producer
Zach Green | Owner & Creative Lead, Green Publishing & Management
Melanie Santa Rosa | Head of Copyright Administration, Third Side Music

Questions? Email is at questions@theccc.org

Biographies

Janelle Hawkes | Publishing Royalty Manager, beatBread

Janelle Hawkes has worked in the entertainment industry for almost twenty years throughout many mediums. Early in her career, Janelle worked at CMT and BMI in Nashville, specializing in licensing and programming, while building a wide knowledge of rights administration. Upon returning to New York, Janelle took on various business, licensing, and production roles in television and film for ABC, Warner Brothers, and Showtime, as well as various independent film companies in the area. In 2013, Janelle joined the Harry Fox Agency, leading the Licensing and Data Management teams, and later took on the position of Director of Copyright Administration and Licensing with BMG, specializing in navigating the ever-changing landscape of music right in the age of new media. Parlaying that experience while widening her scope of knowledge, Janelle was the first Contract and Royalty Analysis for Loeb & Loeb, LLP, specializing in Valuations and Catalog Sales, while maintaining administrative relationships with a number of songwriters throughout Nashville. This summer saw a combination of all past positions though, as Janelle has taken up the role of Publishing Royalty Manager for beatBread, helping to value, fund, and propel the careers of independent artists and writers forward alongside an innovative team across the country. Janelle recognizes the value of a song, and uses her knowledge of licensing, registrations, copyright, and contracts on her true mission of supporting songwriters, artists, and anyone with a creative spark in their careers!

Brian Durant | Senior Director, Music Publisher Rights Management, SoundExchange

Brian Durant is a music publishing operations and data leader with almost two decades of experience in the music industry, focused on making the business work better for creators.

Currently, he serves as Senior Director, Music Publisher Rights Management at SX Works, a division of SoundExchange. SX Works is dedicated to providing administration solutions to enable music publishers and self-published songwriters manage their repertoire and musical works across the music ecosystem.

Brian’s entry into the music industry began at The Harry Fox Agency (HFA) where he served in several roles, culminating with Director of Licensing and Data Management. He has also worked at TouchTunes/PlayNetwork directing the company’s Music Operations team, and Downtown Music Publishing where he led the Sync Operations team.

When not working on music metadata and technology solutions, Brian enjoys singing, hiking and injecting his dry sense of humor into almost every conversation. He resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Laurie Geltman | Musician, Singer/Songwriter, Producer

Laurie Geltman is an award-winning rock singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles.  She’s currently producing her 5th album having released the first two songs and music videos with a political rock anthem coming out in May that was recorded in studios from Lagos, Nigeria to Atlanta to LA.

Geltman began her career in the vibrant Boston music scene fronting her own band as vocalist, songwriter and lead guitarist.  She has released four albums (three under her name and an EP Up From Down under the moniker LAYNE.)  Geltman has appeared on many albums over the years as a studio musician (guitar, bass, harmonica, vocals) as well as numerous compilations.  She is a veteran of the road having toured legendary venues from CBGB’s in New York City and The Bluebird in Nashville to a palace in Kathmandu, and shared the stage with many musical icons such as Joe Cocker, Emmylou Harris, Eric Burdon, Leon Russell, Derek Trucks, Patty Griffin, Rick Danko (The Band) and Aimee Mann. If you’re old enough to remember Lilith Fair, she did that too, but most of her time was spent in clubs paying her dues and developing her gritty and emotional delivery and fiery guitar playing. As a female lead guitarist and educator, Laurie has encouraged a new generation or two of young girls (and boys) to own their space and play guitar like they mean it.  She teaches bass & guitar privately in LA or worldwide on ZOOM.  A Berklee College of Music graduate with a focus on film scoring, guitar and the music biz, Geltman has scored both short and indie feature length films and has had original songs in video games, TV, theatre and ads. She has immersed herself in the LA music community and tries to keep up with the latest news and laws concerning songwriters and publishers through active memberships in SONA, AIMP, CCC and regularly works at GMS events and other music conferences.

Zach Green | Owner & Creative Lead, Green Publishing & Management

Zach Green has been a songwriter advocate and champion for a decade, starting his career at ASCAP in New York where he spent several years in a distributions role gaining expertise in song cataloguing, licensing and copyright. His first creative role brought him to Nashville, working with SESAC’s creative services team to sign and develop writers including KNOX, Bonner Black, Rudy Currence and many others.

During the pandemic, Zach pivoted into publishing, starting as a Creative Coordinator for BMG Nashville in 2021. Serving an incredible roster of hitmakers, Zach learned the landscape of a successful publishing venture from one of the biggest in the world. With those skills, an insatiable drive and an extensive network from years of climbing the ropes, Zach accepted his first Creative Director position at Banner Music. He spent nearly a year growing the brand out, hosting many successful writer rounds and accruing several cuts for Banner, before pivoting into the freelance space with his exciting solo venture, Green Publishing & Management.

Current Green P&M clients include Lucky Money Entertainment, Inside Pitch Club, and BKER CRTV. The company also represents several indie writer/producers for sync agency, and provides publishing admin services including a proprietary “Jumpstart Publishing Intensive” for independent songwriters.

Zach is also a strong community builder, serving as the 2025 SOLID President, 2025 Nashville in Sync Sponsorships Chair, and as the founder + host of the award-winning music industry gatherings: Red Door Hangs.

Melanie Santa Rosa | Head of Copyright Administration, Third Side Music

Melanie Santa Rosa is currently Head of Copyright Administration at Third Side Music. Before joining Third Side, Melanie was Executive Vice President of Global Digital Copyright Administration at Word Collections, where she oversaw Word’s worldwide digital copyright and royalty administration for comedians, other spoken word artists, songwriters, and music publishers.

Prior to Word, she was Senior Vice President of Global Administration at Spirit Music Group and managed Spirit’s copyright efforts throughout the world. Melanie was an integral part of the company’s success, and helped build Spirit Music Group into one of the premiere independent publishing partners in the world. Melanie has over twenty years of experience in music copyright administration, performing rights, licensing, and global societies. She joined Spirit in 2010 as Manager, Film/TV/Advertising, Performance and Copyright Administration and prior to that, she was at BMI for 10 years where she worked with their songwriters and publishers, as well as liaised with other performing rights organizations (PROs).

As an advocate for creators, Melanie contributes to the music publishing industry-at-large as an active member of the Association of Independent Publishers (AIMP), Music Managers Forum-US, Women in Music, and the Society Publisher Forum. She also serves on the Board of the AIMP’s New York Chapter and previously was on the Operations Advisory Committee of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

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