Josh is a trusted adviser to the music industry’s most influential stakeholders, representing emerging and world‑renowned talent, songwriters, labels, publishers, brands, entrepreneurs, institutional investors, and both major and independent music companies. He has negotiated and closed billions of dollars in purchases and sales of recorded‑music and music‑publishing assets, acting for buyers and sellers and delivering strategic, market‑aligned outcomes for some of the world’s most celebrated catalogs.
A partner in Reed Smith’s Entertainment & Media Industry Group, Josh is widely recognized for his experience in copyright law and his nuanced understanding of the complex music rights and royalty ecosystem. Josh’s dealmaking includes advising on 10‑figure catalog transactions and representing some of the world’s biggest artists, investors, and companies across the global music business. His understanding of the industry’s commercial and creative dynamics allows him to structure and execute sophisticated transactions that maximize long‑term value.
Beyond his leading role in music M&A, Josh is recognized as an authority in drafting and negotiating the full spectrum of music industry agreements – including recording, publishing, management, licensing, merchandising, distribution, sponsorship, endorsement, and touring contracts – as well as synchronization, master use, and PRO licensing clearances. He regularly advises clients on complex U.S. and international rights issues arising in digital distribution and emerging technologies, spanning digital music services, AI, NFTs, and Web3 platforms. Josh is also particularly passionate about dance and electronic music and culture, where he continues to represent some of the most innovative artists and companies shaping the genre’s future.
Josh’s work has earned sustained industry recognition, including four consecutive appearances on Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers, inclusion in The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers in Music, and honors in Variety’s Music Legal Elite, Hollywood’s New Leaders, and Dealmakers lists.
The breadth of Josh’s experience has made him a go-to resource for clients navigating the intersection of music, media, and technology. His combination of strategic insight, legal precision, and deep industry relationships enables him to deliver results on some of the most complex and high-profile deals in the industry.
Recognitions
Named Leader of Influence in M&A by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2026
Named to Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers list, 2022-2026
Ranked in Chambers USA for California Media & Entertainment: Music, 2026
Credentials
Education
- University of Southern California Gould School of Law, 2014, J.D.
- Indiana University, 2010, B.A.
Professional admissions & qualifications
- California
Industries
News
- Reed Smith represents Pophouse in acquisition of 50% stake in Sia's publishing and master music rights(14 October 2026)
- Reed Smith’s Sessa, Love, Shapiro, and Marder recognized as leading music lawyers by The Hollywood Reporter(13 October 2026)
- Four Reed Smith attorneys named among Variety’s 2026 Music Legal Elite(24 July 2026)
- Billboard names seven Reed Smith attorneys to Top Music Lawyers list(20 July 2026)
- Reed Smith advises CVC Capital Partners on majority investment in DistroKid(9 July 2026)
- Chambers USA 2026 recognizes Reed Smith with 79 practice rankings and 173 lawyer recognitions(4 June 2026)
- Reed Smith advises Concord on combination with BMG(6 May 2026)
- Reed Smith partners Josh Love, Eric Marder, Stephen Sessa, and Edward Shapiro named to Variety’s “Dealmakers 2025” Report(6 January 2026)
- Reed Smith partners Josh Love, Stephen Sessa, and Edward Shapiro named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “2025 Top Power Lawyers in Music” list(2 October 2025)
- Reed Smith partners Josh Love, Stephen Sessa and Edward Shapiro named to Variety’s ‘2025 Music Legal Elite’ list(1 August 2025)
- Reed Smith represents Recognition Music Group in the sale of Hipgnosis Songs Group(18 June 2025)
- Reed Smith's Love, Marder, Pryor, Sessa, Shapiro named to Billboard’s 2025 top music lawyers list(24 April 2025)
- Reed Smith’s Steve Sessa and Josh Love named among 2024’s top dealmakers by Variety(23 December 2024)
- Reed Smith advises Flexpoint Ford in connection with growth equity investment into Duetti(15 November 2024)
- Josh Love named among Hollywood’s new leaders by Variety(31 October 2024)
- Reed Smith advises Flexpoint Ford on growth equity investment into Create Music Group(26 June 2024)
- Reed Smith represents Flexpoint Ford on partnership with GoldState Music to pursue music catalog acquisitions(15 November 2023)
Media mentions
- ‘We’re seeing some of the biggest deals the music industry has ever seen,’ says Reed Smith’s Josh Love(2026)
- Deal Diary: Legal Quartet Plays BMG-Concord Music(2026)
- BMG To Pay Concord PE Owner $1.16B In Music Biz Merger(2026)
Insights
- Music – Part 3: Industry pressures & what comes next(30 September 2026)
- Music – Part 2: Copyright & NIL(30 September 2026)
- Music – Part 1: Litigation & licensing(30 September 2026)
Events
Beatport Connect
Music Investor Conference, “Unlocking the future”
Music Investor Conference, “What you need to know about the music Industry”
- Reed Smith’s Copyright Termination Bootcamp: Reclaiming Rights, Unlocking Value and Navigating Risk(Tuesday, December 8, 2026)
- Winter Music Conference 2026(Tuesday-Thursday, March 24-26, 2026)
- Beatport Connect(Friday, September 26, 2025)
- Music Investor Conference, “Unlocking the future”(Tuesday, June 10, 2025)
- Music Investor Conference, “What you need to know about the music Industry”(Tuesday, June 11, 2024)