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.
Five UMPG published songs feature in the soundtrack for new movie Project Hail Mary, with Harry Styles - “Sign Of The Times” featuring in both the trailer and the film. The film stars Ryan Gosling as a science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship light-years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there – only to discover he’s on a mission to save the earth.
Irving Berlin “Anything You Can Do” is at the heart of a new campaign for Amazon Alexa+. The spot opens with a voice asking Alexa, “What’s that song about being able to do anything better?”, with Alexa answering , “Oh, I know that one”, and proceeding to play Irving Berlin’s classic song.
Bridgerton Season 4 - now streaming in full on Netflix - is underscored by sweeping orchestral interpretations of hit songs by UMPG artists and songwriters including Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Sting, Billie Eilish, The Cars and more.
Irving Berlin – “Cheek to Cheek”, performed by Frank Sinatra, soundtracks a new campaign for Heineken. Under the strapline ‘Fans Have More Friends’, the spot reflects how shared passions can help people connect.
The new advert for sportswear brand ASICS features a re-record of The Beach Boys’ timeless classic “Good Vibrations”. Under the tagline ‘Move your body, move your mind’, the campaign aims to promote the transformative power of movement for physical and mental wellbeing.
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’.