FAQ's

Universal Production Music produces and licenses music for everyone from indie filmmakers to major TV networks and advertising agencies. Covering every genre, mood, and emotion, our global music library is your go-to for all media. With offices in 33+ countries, we provide tracks for film, TV, ads, gaming, radio, podcasts, apps, sustainable productions, and more. We’re part of Universal Music Publishing Group, and we’ve been in the music industry for decades. We’re here to provide you with the soundscape you need to enrich and complement the creative project you’re working on.

Yes, Universal Production Music is part of Universal Music Publishing Group and Universal Music Group. Together, our services span production and commercial music and licensing, audio branding, Music Direction and bespoke tracks.

Universal Production Music is designed for anyone creating professional content who needs high-quality, licensed music. Our catalog is trusted by film and TV producers, broadcasters, advertisers, agencies, brands, game developers, podcasters, and digital media producers worldwide.

All tracks are pre-cleared for global use, making it simple to license the right music for your project with confidence.

Universal Production Music licensing options vary, with each option ensuring that all of our tracks are ready to use in any type of media, anywhere in the world, and forever.

Our high-quality and versatile music library can be licensed through collection societies in certain territories or by directly contacting your local Universal Production Music representative.

With Universal Production Music, you can be confident in safely securing the necessary rights for your production. Check out our licensing options to have music licensing explained.

Universal Production Music costs vary depending on the type of licensing agreement you have and the number of tracks you wish to license.

To find out more about Universal Production Music pricing, contact your local Universal Production Music representative.

You can register an account on our website. After submitting your details, we will review your application for download access and then email you with further instructions. To obtain your sync license, please contact your local Universal Production Music representative for assistance. Once reviewed and approved, you will be able to use your Universal Production Music log in.

All of Universal Production Music tracks are created specifically for professional use in film, TV, advertising and any other media. It is a high quality, versatile and cost-effective option for your productions. Our music is pre-cleared for all media, worldwide in perpetuity and is available to license via collection societies in some territories or direct by contacting your local contact at Universal Production Music.

To discuss licensing options to start using our music in your productions, contact your local Universal Production Music representative.

We offer blanket licenses that give your organisation unlimited access to our catalogue for a set period of time. This type of license is ideal for broadcasters, production companies, and agencies who need ongoing access to a wide variety of music. To discuss options and create a blanket licensing deal tailored to your needs, please contact your local Universal Production Music representative.

Licensing music for your film with Universal Production Music is simple. Our entire catalog is pre-cleared for professional use, so you don’t need to chase copyright permissions or negotiate with individual rights holders. Instead, you can search our library, find the perfect track, and license it directly for use in your project.

We offer flexible options including single-track licenses, blanket licenses, and custom agreements, depending on whether your film is for cinema, broadcast, streaming, festivals, or online distribution. In some territories, licensing is handled via local collection societies, while in others you can license directly through your local Universal Production Music representative.

Yes, you can use copyrighted music in a film, but only if you have secured the correct copyright permissions and licences from the rights holders. This process can be complex and often costly when dealing with commercial songs, as you need both a synchronisation licence (to pair the music with visuals) and a master recording licence (to use the original recording).

With Universal Production Music, this process is simplified. Our entire catalogue is pre-cleared for film, TV, advertising, and online use worldwide, meaning you don’t need to negotiate copyright clearance separately. You simply license the track through us via local collection societies in some regions, or directly through your local Universal Production Music representative, and the music is ready to use legally in your film.

Yes, a music license is a legal requirement whenever you use copyrighted music in film, TV, advertising, or any other media. Without the correct license, you could face copyright infringement claims, takedowns, or legal penalties.

With Universal Production Music, licensing is simple because all of our tracks are pre-cleared for professional use worldwide. This means you don’t need to negotiate directly with rights holders; you can license music through us and be confident that your project is fully covered legally.

For any commercial use, such as advertising, branded content, film, TV, or online videos, you can only use music that is properly licensed for commercial purposes. Using copyrighted songs without permission is not allowed and can lead to copyright infringement claims or takedowns.

With Universal Production Music, you get access to a global catalog of high-quality tracks that are pre-cleared for commercial use worldwide. This includes options like single-track licences, blanket licences, alternate mixes, and stems, so you can adapt the music to fit your project while knowing it’s fully legal and ready to use.

To legally use a song in film, TV, advertising, online video, or any other project, you need to obtain a music license.

With Universal Production Music, licensing is simple. Our entire catalog is pre-cleared for professional use worldwide, so you don’t need to contact individual rights holders. Instead, you can search our library, choose the track that fits your project, and license it directly through us via local collection societies in some territories or direct with your local UPM representative. We also offer flexible options such as single-track licenses, blanket licenses, alternate mixes, and stems, making it easy to adapt music to your production needs.

Music used in TV shows typically requires a synchronisation license and, in many cases, a master recording license. Securing these rights for commercial songs can be complex and often involves multiple copyright holders.

With Universal Production Music, the process is much easier. Our tracks are pre-cleared for broadcast and streaming use worldwide, meaning you don’t need to negotiate separate sync or master licenses. You can simply choose the music you need from our catalogue and license it directly through your local Universal Production Music representative or via local collection societies in some regions. This ensures your TV production has fully legal, professional-quality music without the hassle of traditional clearance.

Yes, tracks from Universal Production Music are pre-cleared for worldwide use across film, TV, advertising, and other media. This means you can confidently use our music in projects that are distributed internationally without worrying about additional copyright clearance.

In some territories, licensing may be managed via local collection societies, while in others you can license directly through your local Universal Production Music representative. Either way, once licensed, the music is cleared for global use with no regional restrictions.

A synchronisation (sync) license gives you the legal right to pair music with visual content such as film, TV, advertising, trailers, or online video. Normally, obtaining a sync license for commercial songs can be complex, as you need permission from both the songwriter/publisher and the recording rights holder.

With Universal Production Music, the process is simple. Our entire catalog is pre-cleared for sync use worldwide, meaning you don’t need to negotiate separately with copyright owners. You can browse our library, select the right track, and license it directly through your local UPM representative or via local collection societies in some territories. This ensures you have the sync rights you need, quickly and confidently.

A sync license and a master license cover two different sets of rights when using music in film, TV, advertising, or online content.

- A sync license is obtained from the music publisher or songwriter and gives you permission to pair the underlying composition (the melody and lyrics) with visuals.
- A master license is obtained from the owner of the sound recording (usually a record label) and gives you permission to use the specific recording of that composition.

If you want to use a well-known commercial track, you generally need both licenses. With Universal Production Music, all of our tracks are pre-cleared for both sync and master use worldwide, so you don’t need to negotiate separately with rights holders, you can simply license the music directly for your project.

Although we don't use the term 'royalty-free' or 'Universal royalty-free music,' our music can be licensed through collection societies in certain territories or by directly contacting your local Universal Production Music representative. 

Wondering how to find music? The Universal Production Music library consists of over 230,000 tracks across all genres and styles. Use our tracks in your movies, TV shows, ads, video games, interactive media, and more. We make it simple with our intuitive online search function which enables you to search for sounds or music by keyword, track title, composer, and lyrics. Click on the in-browser player to hear the tracks straight away. If you find one you like, just add it to your playlist or download it.

You can also explore our expertly curated playlists, collections and moods compiled by our team of global music specialists to find licensed background music that can resonate with every emotion of your brief.

Similarity Search is a tool which helps you find tracks that match the style and mood of your reference track. If you’ve heard something and thought it would be great for your product, check out our Similarity Search feature, powered by AI technology.

Simply type or paste a YouTube, SoundCloud, or Vimeo link to get started. Similarity Search listens to the track (or the part of the track you specify) to find the closest matches. It's a quick way to find tracks in the Universal Production Music library that fit the feeling you're looking for.

To submit music for film and TV, send your music and experience to production.upm.us@umusic.com.

We have over 230,000 tracks in our music library across all genres, moods and styles.

The best format to download music for professional use is usually an uncompressed file format such as WAV or AIFF. These formats preserve the full audio quality, making them ideal for film, TV, advertising, and other high-end production work where clarity and detail are essential.

At Universal Production Music, all tracks are available in WAV, AIFF, and MP3. While MP3 files are convenient for smaller file sizes and quick previews, WAV and AIFF deliver the best quality music format for editing and final production.

Yes, once you've registered on our website and have been provided with download privileges, Universal Production Music downloads can be made directly from our music library.

You can download tracks from Universal Production Music in the most commonly used professional audio file formats: WAV, MP3, and AIFF. WAV and AIFF provide uncompressed, high-quality audio ideal for film, TV, and advertising production, while MP3 offers a smaller file size for quick previews or rough edits. This flexibility ensures you always have the right format for your project.

Contact your local representative if you're having issues downloading files.

Yes, you can find our Privacy Policy here.

Click on the stems icon next to the track title in your search results, and a zipped folder with the stems will automatically download. If a track doesn’t display a stems icon, contact your local Universal Production Music representative, who may be able to provide them.

You can set your download preferences in your 'My Account' area. You can opt to default to a particular music file format or you can opt to 'show download pop up each time' so when selecting a track to download you will see the three different format options each time: WAV, MP3 or AIFF.

Yes. Many of our tracks are available in multiple lengths, such as full-length, 60-second, 30-second and 15-second variations. In addition, you’ll often find alternate mixes and stems, giving you even more flexibility to adapt the music to your production needs. When you click on a track in our library, you can sample and download any of the available versions, edits, or mixes. You can also filter your search by edit type, track length, or mix to quickly find the version that works best for your project.

To reset your password, head to the login page and click the 'Forgot Password' button. You will be sent an email prompting you to reset your password.  

To access our Music Direction service, please fill out this form or send us an email to musicsearch.upm.us@umusic.com.

Complimentary service is available for current clients only.

Yes, we offer the Cue Sheet Helper tool which saves time by automating your music reporting. Whether you use Final Cut, Premiere Pro, or Avid, simply upload your production files to Cue Sheet Helper and get an editable cue sheet instantly. This tool will identify the music you've used from our catalog and suggest the correct track data.

Of course, we have a blog with demos to help you navigate the new site. You can also contact your local representative should you require any further demos or information regarding the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

• Space - Play/Pause
• Up Arrow - Prev Track
• Down Arrow - Next track
• Left - Scrub back 10s
• Right - Scrub forward 10s
• X - Prev Track
• C - Next Track 
• M - Mute
• P - add the track currently playing to the user playlist 
• + increase volume (press shift+ on smaller keyboards)
• - decrease volume
• Clicking on the waveform in the track listing triggers a stream/starts the track playing

Manual

• Manual payments are payments initiated by the client.

• A client can initiate a payment for a single invoice or multiple invoices.

Autopay

• Selecting AutoPay means your invoices will be charged automatically on the due date.

• The default payment card will be charged.

• Please Note: If you select auto payment, any past due invoices (reflected in red on the billing page) will be charged to the default payment card upon clicking the confirm button.

• Invoices can still be paid manually if you are on AutoPay.

Yes, you can switch anytime you want. Go to the Payment screen. Your current payment option will be the one highlighted in blue. Select the other one and you will be prompted to confirm your change.

There is no limit to the number of cards that can be saved. However, there is only ONE default card. The default card is the card that will be used if you opt into AutoPay. The default card is the card shown with the filled in circle to the left of it. We only accept American Express, Mastercard and Visa as forms of credit card payment.

Yes, however, partial payments only can be made on one invoice at a time. Click on the invoice you want to partially pay. You will be brought to the payment screen. At the bottom right of the screen is a box to fill out the amount of payment you want to make. Put in the amount of the payment and click pay to pay that amount. Please note: Your partial payment must be greater than 50 cents.

It may take up to 30 minutes for your payment to properly reflect on our website. Any longer than that, hit us up via Live Chat, licensing.upm.us@umusic.com, or contact your Licensing Executive.

The security of your information is important to us. If you cannot see your invoices or licenses, we need to update your user settings. Simply reach out to us via the Live Chat button, emailing licensing.upm.us@umusic.com or by emailing your Licensing Executive and we will get you squared away.

Currently, the only way to update your card information is to create a new saved card and then delete the previous card. We are working to improve this feature.

A reason for the decline should have appeared on the screen. If you missed it, contact us and we can track down the reason or it is always best to contact your bank for an explanation.

If you have a question the portal cannot answer, reach out to us via the Live Chat support link or the “Contact” link in the bottom menu. Drop us a quick note with your account details, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.