Chief Creative Officer
Sam Kling serves as Chief Creative Officer for SESAC Performing Rights, where he oversees the company’s growth strategies for artists affiliations, music publishers and new business opportunities within the creative community. Kling also manages the Creative Services team in London, New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles, where he resides.
Since joining SESAC in 2014, Kling has installed an innovative client services structure as well as elevated the company’s affiliate roster by collaborating with some of the industry’s most significant artists, music publishers and managers. He has led the department’s strategic effort to secure songwriters and composer affiliations such as Bob Dylan, Adele, Neil Diamond, Green Day, Zac Brown Band, Randy Newman, Kings of Leon, Robin Thicke, Rosanne Cash, and many more. Kling also spearheaded the partnership signing of publishing company Universal Publishing Production Music.
Kling has also took on the responsibility of bridging the gap between Mint Digital Services, (a joint venture between SESAC Holdings and the Swiss collection society, SUISA) and U.S.-based music publishers to ensure a smooth rollout within the U.S.
Prior to SESAC, Kling served as Vice President at peermusic, where he oversaw the independent music company’s US Pop A&R as well as Film & Television creative operations. Preceding peer, Kling served as Vice President of Film & Television for BMG Music Publishing where he managed their U.S. synchronization operations.
Kling is a T.J. Martell Foundation Los Angeles board member, a voting member of The Recording Academy as well as a board member of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP).
Kling holds a bachelor’s degree from the New School University in New York and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.