Universal Music Publishing’s Film & TV Department creates opportunities for and licenses our catalogue of songs to film, television, advertising, computer games and stage productions: what is often referred to as ‘synchronisation’. We work closely with each writer to support their creative endeavours and both promote and protect their music at every stage of their career. The UK office has a 12 strong Film & TV team working alongside similar specialist departments in our offices around the world. Covering everything from a song’s first play on UK TV to a major US hit series or scoring original film music, we always treat every use of our artists’ music with equal importance.
Charli xcx - ‘Everything is romantic’, co-written by UMPG songwriter Finn Keane, soundtracks the trailer for the new Warner Bros film Wuthering Heights. The film stars Academy Award and BAFTA nominee Margot Robbie opposite BAFTA nominee Jacob Elordi.
Nine UMPG published songs feature in The Buccaneers Season 2, streaming now on Apple TV, including tracks from Griff, Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Clairo and Florence + The Machine.
The new Netflix film My Oxford Year is out now, featuring an opening track written by UMPG songwriters Laura Welsh and Jimmy James at UMPG’s SCREENWRK x Nothing Standard writing retreat in Deià earlier this year.
13 UMPG published songs feature in new Netflix series ‘Too Much’, created by Lena Dunham and Luis Felber, starring Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe. The storyline follows a heartbroken New Yorker who moves to London looking for love, and falls for an indie musician who's anything but the typical romantic hero. The syncs include Fergie - ‘London Bridge’ (UMPG writer Polow Da Don), for which Fergie has re-created the music video to tie in with the series.
Charlie Brooker’s acclaimed dystopian series Black Mirror has returned to Netflix for Season 7, and Episode 2 ‘Bête Noire’ features Amyl & The Sniffers - ‘Starfire 500’.
Fine Young Cannibals - ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ soundtracks the new campaign from Chanel, which features Dua Lipa singing along to the iconic 80s hit.
The UMPG UK sync team licensed the music for some of the biggest festive adverts this year - including John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Boots, KFC, JD Sports, Coca-Cola, and a touching and hilarious commercial for toy retailer The Entertainer. UMPG artists and writers featured include Bob Dylan, Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Eve, Richard Ashcroft, Per Gessle and more.
An acoustic version of ‘Sonnet’, written and performed by Richard Ashcroft, features on this year’s eagerly anticipated John Lewis Christmas advert.
Qatar Airways’ new advert features ‘Love Is Complicated (The Angels Sing)’ from the Euphoria score by Labrinth.
Jamie xx – “All You Children feat. The Avalanches” provides the soundtrack for Apple’s new commercial to promote its products’ accessibility features ahead of the Paris Paralympics.