Full Sail Stories

On November 13, Brad Biwer, Full Sail University Music Business grad and Senior Licensing Representative at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), gave a Music Industry Talk to students. He sat down for a Q&A with Israel Vasquetelle, Program Director for Entertainment & Music Business, and shared wisdom from his career experience. Brad discussed his previous role as the Market Research Coordinator for the Vans Warped Tour, where he took feedback from show attendees to improve experiences, but especially focused on his current job with BMI, where he manages music rights and advocates for songwriters in Nashville.

Attendees included students in degree programs like Music Business, Entertainment Business, Music Production, and Recording Arts, and they got the chance to hear from an industry professional who was once in their shoes.

Brad explained how BMI represents music publishers, composers, and songwriters to collect royalties when their music is performed publicly. His job is to communicate with public venues that use music, such as bars, restaurants, and coffee shops, and ensure they have the right permits to use the music legally.

“We do a really, really good job on educating [the venues]. We’re like, ‘hey, this is why you need copyright permission.’” Brad said. “Most people don’t think of music as being property, but it is the intellectual property of the songwriters.”

Students also got the chance to pick Brad’s brain and ask him questions, and he spoke candidly about the ups and downs he’s faced in his field and gave advice to those interested in similar career paths.