Music Meets Management: Priyanka Neupane’s Journey to Warner Music Group
At the Drucker School of Management, student success stories are more than achievements — they’re reflections of purpose-driven journeys. One such journey belongs to Priyanka Neupane, who recently landed a full-time position at Warner Music Group as a licensing coordinator for Sync Licensing. Her story is one of persistence, humility, and the power of collaboration.
Priyanka’s path to Warner Music was not linear, but it was intentional. With a background in music and a desire to expand her business acumen, she found the Drucker School to be a unique bridge between her creative roots and professional aspirations. “Sync licensing is all about placing music in film, TV, podcasts, even live stage performances. I now get to work on clearance processes for a range of Warner Music Group catalogs. It’s exactly where I want to be.”
For Priyanka, this new chapter marks more than a career milestone — it’s a culmination of focused effort. “This is my first full-time position, and getting here took time. To finally be in a role that lets me do what I love feels incredibly rewarding.”
She credits much of her professional readiness to her experience at Drucker. “Every class emphasized collaboration, whether through group projects or peer feedback. That helped me get comfortable asking questions, receiving critiques, and learning openly — skills I now rely on every day at work.”
Beyond the classroom, Priyanka leaned into the support system available to her. “The Career and Professional Development Office was my go-to. From refining my resume to preparing for interviews, they were an invaluable resource. I even worked with them before my interview for Warner. They helped me figure out how to navigate a unique situation: interviewing with people I had interned with before.”
But perhaps one of the most defining aspects of her Drucker experience was the exposure to a diverse, interdisciplinary student community. “At music school, everyone came from similar backgrounds. At Drucker, people bring in such varied experiences and career goals. I learned just as much from my peers as I did from my professors.”
Kindness, a Drucker core value, also resonated deeply with Priyanka. “In licensing, you’re negotiating, you’re pushing for clearances. But no matter the tension, I always lead with kindness. That humanistic approach — it’s something I saw modeled by my professors and classmates and something I now carry into my professional interactions.”
Her journey wasn’t without setbacks. “The job search involved a lot of rejection, and that can wear on you. But I realized those experiences weren’t failures — they were feedback. One interviewer told me I lacked clearance experience. So, I found another internship, gained that experience, and ultimately returned to the same company in a full-time role.”
When asked what she wants to be remembered for, Priyanka doesn’t hesitate: “Collaboration. Working well with others makes any project stronger. Everyone brings something different to the table, and when you tap into that, the results are always better.”
To students navigating their own career transitions, Priyanka offers both practical and heartfelt advice: “Use your resources. Go to the career office. Ask for feedback. And don’t let rejection shake your confidence. Know your worth but also be honest about where you can grow.”
As she steps into this exciting new phase at Warner Music Group, Priyanka embodies the very best of Drucker: thoughtful leadership, resilience, and a people-centered mindset. We are proud to be part of her journey and can’t wait to see how she continues to shape the future of music and business.
Check out the full interview with Priyanka on the Drucker School YouTube Channel.