YR Media Launches Music Licensing Initiative to Benefit Underrepresented Creators
For Immediate Release
Oakland-based, award-winning national nonprofit introduces library of youth-produced
music for licensing in film, TV, podcasts and more
[Oakland, CA] August 29, 2023 - Throughout its 30-year history, YR Media has inspired and trained content creators between the ages 14 to 24 from underrepresented communities, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+. Twenty years ago, the organization added to its legacy in journalism and launched a formal music production program that has evolved into the YR Music department.
Today, YR Media proudly announces the official launch of a YR Music licensing library aligned with the award-winning nonprofit’s mission.
With a catalog of more than 150 original compositions and rapidly growing, the YR Music licensing initiative offers an ethically driven marketplace for original, sample free musical compositions designed to accompany cinema, advertising, social media, video games, podcasts and other content.
The platform seeks to create a pipeline to professional development and career opportunities for independent artists ages 18 to 24-years-old Each licensing opportunity allows for the creator to build their portfolio, while also earning 60% of the profit from each license, said Maya Drexler, YR Media Senior Manager, Music Licensing and Partnerships. The remaining percentage will be invested into continuing the initiative.
“As we celebrate YR Media's 30th anniversary, we invite the music industry community to partner with us in supporting YR Music's expansion,” said Drexler, who herself went through YR Media’s music production programming before entering the recording industry where roles at Roc Nation and Republic Records/Universal Music Group informed the way YR Music’s licensing initiative operates. “By using the YR Music Library, you are supporting the careers of budding artists and providing opportunities to make the business side of the music industry accessible and understandable.”
With several levels of engagement, each offering unique benefits and opportunities for co-branding and promotion, the YR Music initiative seeks to disrupt the status quo of the music industry, and combat a history of creative exploitation, championing inclusivity and empowerment.
Shortly after launch, the YR Music partnered with “Shattering the System'' MACRO’s first podcast, hosted by acclaimed journalist Sonari Glinton, to provide original music for the compelling crime series.
"We are changing the landscape of the music industry," said Kyra Kyles, CEO of YR Media. "We want to see a future where diverse, equal, and transparent practices put the ownership and financial gains in the hands of the creatives, allowing for new standards of success."
YR Media has worked with some of the most influential names in hip-hop, and, in earlier iterations, helped launch the careers of musicians such as Iamsu!, Kuya Beats, Rayana Jay, and The HNRL who produced for YG, Kamaiyah, and Teedra Moses. Young musicians who complete the music program have gone on to land careers at companies including Universal Music Group and Vox Media.
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About YR Media:
YR Media is an award-winning leading media, technology and music training center and platform for emerging BIPOC content creators, who use their voices to change the world. Headquartered in downtown Oakland, California, with a Midwest hub location in Chicago, the non-profit has invested 30 years in helping future generations build foundational skills in journalism and multimedia content creation. They produce journalism, music, graphic design, podcasts, and documentaries that disrupt and shape the mainstream narrative.
