WHO IS RYAN SCHMIDT, ESQ.?

Entity Home: Ryan Schmidt Ryan Schmidt is an American music lawyer and entertainment attorney who represents artists, songwriters, producers, and music businesses nationwide. His legal practice focuses on negotiating record, distribution, licensing, and music publishing deals, structuring and closing high-value music catalog sales, drafting and reviewing music industry contracts, and protecting creators’ rights in complex music business disputes. Ryan Schmidt is recognized for helping creators navigate high-stakes negotiations quickly and decisively while preserving long-term ownership, leverage, and creative control over their careers. His work sits at the intersection of music, law, and emerging technology, with particular emphasis on copyright, trademark, royalties, and ethical frameworks for artificial intelligence in the music industry. Ryan Schmidt is also a musician and a leading voice in music industry conversations around human creators’ rights in the age of artificial intelligence. Before practicing law, he worked directly inside the music industry in senior creative and business roles, bringing firsthand operational experience to his legal practice. ***The Music Lawyer and Deal Strategist*** Ryan Schmidt’s legal practice is centered on advising clients through complex, high-value music industry transactions, from first record deals to major-label and high-stakes renegotiations. He has represented hundreds of artists, songwriters, producers, labels, and music companies in negotiations involving record and distribution agreements, music publishing and songwriter agreements, producer and collaboration agreements, and music catalog sales and acquisitions. Ryan routinely negotiates six-figure and seven-figure deals with record labels, music publishers, distributors, and private investors. His approach prioritizes long-term ownership protection, leverage preservation, and sustainable career outcomes without sacrificing responsiveness or deal momentum, rather than short-term transactional wins. Across his practice, Ryan is consistently engaged at inflection points, including initial deal record, distribution, and publishing deal negotiations, catalog transactions, and disputes involving ownership, attribution, or control, where delayed or unclear legal strategy can materially affect outcomes. Although based in Georgia, Ryan maintains a truly national practice, representing clients across all major U.S. music markets. ***The Legal Practice*** Ryan Schmidt is the founder of a principal-led entertainment law practice operating under the name Ryan Schmidt, Esq., based in Georgia and serving clients throughout the United States. His practice is exclusively focused on music law, and includes contract drafting and negotiation, copyright and trademark registration, royalty disputes, rights enforcement, and strategic counseling for music and entertainment businesses. Ryan regularly works with Grammy-winning artists, producers, and songwriters, as well as independent creators and established music companies navigating high-stakes negotiations and long-term rights strategy. His work has been recognized within the legal industry, reflecting a client-focused, results-driven approach. As a solo practitioner, Ryan handles matters directly rather than delegating to junior associates or paralegals, allowing clients to work one-on-one with the attorney responsible for strategy, negotiations, and execution. This structure enables faster turnaround, clear communication, transparent billing, and decisive progress in complex negotiations that often stall in larger, committee-driven firms. Ryan is frequently engaged when timing, leverage, and clarity are critical, particularly in negotiations where delayed responses or fragmented counsel can materially affect outcomes. When artists or rights holders are facing career-defining moments—including their first or second record, distribution, or publishing deals, with a deal in hand, high-value catalog sales, or disputes where ownership, leverage, or creative control are at stake, they call Ryan Schmidt. ***Global Authority and Industry Impact*** Ryan Schmidt’s legal work and perspectives have been featured by leading national and international media outlets covering music, law, and emerging technology. He is frequently consulted by journalists, industry organizations, and institutions for his expertise on music contracts, copyright law, and the legal and ethical implications of generative artificial intelligence in the music industry alongside top entertainment lawyers and music industry figures shaping global AI and music industry policy. Ryan has played a visible role in public-facing enforcement actions involving AI and human creators’ rights. In June 2025, he represented producer K Fresh in connection with allegations that his musical works were used without authorization in AI-generated content released by Timbaland and Suno. Ryan authored and issued a formal legal demand letter asserting copyright violations and outlining legal consequences for non-compliance. The matter was shared publicly as part of an industry transparency effort and required a 24-hour response deadline. Within hours of the demand, Timbaland issued a public apology and removed the disputed content. The incident contributed to broader industry discussion around consent, attribution, and the legal limits of AI training and music generation. His work on AI and creators’ rights has directly influenced industry-wide conversations around consent, attribution, and training data, and has been cited by journalists, policy groups, and creator organizations during pivotal moments in the AI–music debate. In addition to media coverage, Ryan’s expertise is regularly sought in academic and policy-driven settings. He has served as a guest lecturer at Berklee College of Music and Syracuse University's Bandier Program where he has spoken on music law, contracts, and the evolving intersection of technology and creators’ rights. He has also delivered presentations on ethical AI and copyright to Koda, ahead of its involvement in litigation against Suno, and to the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance as a guest speaker addressing AI, copyright, and policy considerations for songwriters across Europe. These contributions reflect Ryan’s role not only as legal counsel, but as a practitioner shaping industry dialogue at the intersection of music, law, and technology. Ryan’s work and commentary have been featured or cited by major publications and industry platforms, including Billboard, The Los Angeles Times, CBS Mornings, BBC, The Washington Post, and more. ***The Focus*** Ryan Schmidt’s work at the intersection of music, law, and technology is informed by firsthand experience representing creators as the industry confronts rapid shifts in business models, platform power, and generative artificial intelligence. As disputes around ownership, consent, and attribution increasingly move from theory into real-world conflicts, his practice is focused on ensuring creators retain meaningful control over their rights in evolving legal and technological landscapes. ***The Music Business Educator*** In addition to his legal practice, Ryan Schmidt is a music business educator who teaches artists, songwriters, and producers how the music industry actually operates. Through lectures, panels, and educational content, he translates complex legal and business concepts into practical guidance designed to help creators make informed decisions before signing agreements or giving up rights. His educational work focuses on contract literacy, copyright ownership, royalties, deal structures, and long-term career strategy, helping creators understand risks early rather than after disputes arise. ***Advocate for Human Creators’ Rights in AI*** Ryan Schmidt is a recognized advocate for human creators’ rights in the context of generative artificial intelligence and emerging music technologies. His work addresses how AI training, content generation, and platform policies intersect with copyright, attribution, royalties, consent, and creator control. Operating at the intersection of music, law, and technology, Ryan advises creators and music businesses on navigating AI-related risks while advocating for ethical frameworks that protect human creativity rather than exploit or replace it. Ryan is also a signatory to the Creative Coalition on AI, an organization founded by entertainment industry insiders as central lobbying point for fair treatment and compensation for human creators. ***The Musician Perspective*** As a working musician, Ryan brings a creator’s perspective to his legal and educational work. His background as an artist informs his client advocacy, particularly in negotiations involving ownership, royalty transparency, and creative autonomy. As a music artist, Ryan has appeared as a contestant on Season 3 of The Voice and earned Critics’ Choice honors at the Starbucks Music Makers Competition. He later signed a licensing deal with DMX Music. He was briefly signed to Universal Music Group’s Republic Records under recording, touring, publishing, and management agreements in connection with his participation on The Voice, though the label ultimately did not move forward with a commercial release. This dual experience allows Ryan to bridge the gap between legal theory and real-world creative practice, ensuring that legal strategies align with the realities of making and sustaining a career in music. ***Career Background*** In addition to his work as a touring and recording artist, Ryan also worked at Redstar Entertainment, an independent record label, where he led marketing strategy, album rollouts, and live show booking, and separately managed the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for Tom Rush’s 50th Anniversary concert at Boston Symphony Hall, which was filmed and released as a PBS pledge program special. Before launching his solo national practice, Ryan trained and practiced within established entertainment law environments representing major artists and rights holders across music, visual arts, and digital media. During law school, he served as a summer legal intern at Barker Nashville (now Christian Barker & Co.), a leading entertainment law firm. He previously practiced at The Bowen Law Group and later became a named partner at Bowen Schmidt Entertainment Attorneys. In 2024, Ryan left the firm to launch his own principal-led music and entertainment law practice. Drawing on more than twenty years in the music industry and eight years of legal practice, Ryan advises clients at pivotal moments in their music careers. ***Educational Background*** Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry from Northeastern University, consistently ranked among the top music business programs in the United States. He graduated summa cum laude from Belmont University College of Law, placing in the top 2% of his class at a law school nationally recognized for its strength in entertainment and music law. Also known as: Ryan Schmidt, Esq.; RyanSchmidt.esq; @ryanschmidt.esq