Gracenote is a leading metadata and content recognition company in the media and entertainment industry, providing music, video and sports metadata, music recognition technology and audience data solutions. Headquartered in the United States, Graceno...
"Working at Gracenote felt like being part of a small, curious team inside a bigger machine. You can see your work ship quickly, and people are genuinely helpful when you get stuck." That’s a comment you will hear from engineers and data folks. Other employees say, "The product teams move fast and you will learn a lot about media metadata and content discovery." Some do note occasional frustration with decision-making delays when coordination with parent-company teams is needed. Overall, testimonials paint a picture of smart, friendly coworkers and work that is interesting day-to-day.
The company culture at Gracenote leans technical and product-focused. You’ll find colleagues who care about accuracy and user experience, especially around content metadata and recommendation systems. There is a pragmatic, get-things-done vibe: if a solution helps the product, it will get attention. Diversity of thought is encouraged, though some employees feel there is room to grow on inclusivity initiatives. When people talk about company culture at Gracenote, they often highlight collaboration, problem-solving, and a bias toward measurable outcomes rather than long meetings.
Work-life balance at Gracenote is generally positive. Many teams offer flexible hours and hybrid schedules, so you will be able to manage personal commitments without constant overtime. There are crunch periods—around major releases or sales deadlines—where you might work late for short stretches. Overall, work-life balance at Gracenote seems realistic: you are expected to deliver, but sustained 60-hour weeks are not the norm.
Job security is moderate and depends on business cycles and organizational changes. When product lines are performing well and the company is integrating smoothly with larger partners, staff levels are stable. However, there have been periodic reorganizations in the past that led to role consolidations. Employees should be proactive about documenting achievements and maintaining cross-team visibility to reduce risk.
Leadership is competent and technical. Senior leaders tend to be product- and metrics-oriented, focusing on roadmap delivery and customer outcomes. Communication from leadership is regular but can be uneven across departments; some teams receive clear strategic direction while others get more tactical guidance. There is an emphasis on aligning with broader company priorities, which helps with clarity but may slow local innovation at times.
Managers at Gracenote are generally praised for being supportive and available. They are often promoted from within and understand the technical work, which helps when prioritizing tasks and setting realistic expectations. Some reviewers note variability: while many managers coach and provide feedback, others are more hands-off and expect self-direction. If you like autonomy and mentorship, you will likely find managers who match your style, but it is wise to ask about team leadership during interviews.
There is solid support for learning and development. Employees report access to online training platforms, internal brown-bags, and occasional conference budgets. Mentorship is informal but common—engineers and product managers often pair on projects so juniors ramp up quickly. The company encourages cross-functional learning, which is helpful if you want to move between data, engineering, or product roles.
Promotion opportunities are available but can be moderate in pace. The company is not extremely hierarchical, so substantive leaps sometimes require moving laterally to demonstrate breadth before a title change. High performers who take on visible projects and cross-team impact will find paths to promotion; others may experience slower progression due to limited intermediate roles.
Salaries are competitive within the media-technology niche. Entry-level engineering and analyst roles typically fall in the lower to mid-market range, mid-level engineers and product managers are mid-range, and senior technical and leadership roles reach toward the upper end of market benchmarks. Compensation aligns with experience and market location. There is transparency during offers, and total compensation is reasonable for the work-life expectations.
Bonuses are used selectively. Sales and customer-facing roles have commission or performance-based incentives. Engineering and product roles may receive annual performance bonuses that are variable and tied to company and team goals. Long-term equity is limited for non-executive staff, but certain senior hires may have additional long-term incentive packages.
Health and insurance benefits are comprehensive and competitive. Plans typically include medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus mental health resources and employee assistance programs. Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are available, along with basic life and disability insurance. The benefits package is generally in line with industry standards.
Employee engagement includes regular town halls, product demos, hackathons, and team offsites. Social events and holiday gatherings are common in larger offices, and there is investment in recognition programs for standout contributors. Engagement efforts are meant to build community and cross-team awareness, and they are usually well-received.
Remote work support is solid. There is a hybrid-friendly policy for many roles, and remote teams have access to collaboration tools, home office stipends in some cases, and flexible scheduling. Certain client-facing or data-infrastructure roles may require more on-site presence, but overall the company supports distributed work arrangements.
Average working hours are around 40 per week for most roles. During sprints or product launches, hours may increase to 45–50 temporarily. There is an expectation to be responsive during core hours, but the company avoids glorifying busy work.
Attrition is moderate. The company experiences normal turnover, with higher movement in sales and certain engineering niches. There have been occasional layoffs and reorganizations, particularly after mergers or strategic shifts. These events are not constant but are important to consider when evaluating longer-term stability.
Overall, Gracenote offers a compelling place to work if you value product-focused engineering, collaborative teams, and a healthy work-life balance. You will learn a lot about media metadata and content discovery, and the compensation and benefits are competitive. Job security and promotion pace are reasonable but depend on performance and company direction. For many professionals, working at Gracenote is a solid career move that balances growth, culture, and stability.
Read authentic experiences from current and former employees at Gracenote
Supportive engineering leads, strong mentorship program, flexible hybrid schedule and interesting problems in media metadata.
Base salary lags behind big tech, occasional crunches around release dates.
Great exposure to the media industry and cross-functional teams, clear product processes and lots of data to work with.
Decision making can be slow, and there is sometimes too much internal red tape for quick experiments.
Remote work flexibility and friendly colleagues across regions, decent product recognition in the market.
Aggressive quarterly targets, commission structure could be clearer and there's frequent leadership churn.
