If a Universal Music Publishing Group song is to be used in timed relations with still or moving images on a screen, a "Synchronization" license must be obtained from the publisher. Examples include: a song playing in an advertisement for a product, on a car radio in a movie scene, or a song heard on a videogame, etc.
The fees for the license are subject to negotiation and vary according to the popularity of the composition, the timing, and the importance of the composition within the visual production.
This grant is non-exclusive and is totally discretionary. Universal Music Publishing Group may deny permission for any reason whatsoever.
a) Basic Site Functions: Universal Music Publishing Group’s SynchExpress.com is designed as a convenient research tool for creative professionals who license music for motion pictures, television, advertising, multimedia and other media. SynchExpress offers accessibility to our clients through a fast, easy-to-use search engine which finds UMPG songs based on criteria entered. On SynchExpress.com you can also…
- Listen to song selections
- Search for designated easy-to-clear copyrights
- Create project folders
- E-mail song selections
- Communicate with UMPG's Film and TV creative staff
- Preview new releases
- Access special promotions and song lists
b) Database: The SynchExpress.com database features a select pool of popular songs consisting of hit recordings that span from 1920 to the present. Not all UMPG copyrights are included in the database. New copyrights are added every week. Contact UMPG Film and TV Department for information on other songs or additional song suggestions
Whether you're searching for songs for use in a scene in a motion picture, TV show, or for a national commercial, there are an infinite number of adjectives or criteria music supervisors use to define the type of songs they need for a scene or project. Using SynchExpress.com's GENERAL SEARCH tool on the home page (or on the left bar next to any Search Results) you can enter or select your own criteria, as well as search on a specific song title (or portion of a song title) and/or an artist or songwriter's name. You can also select a musical genre or decade, the subject of lyrics, or the date range in which a song was released. Select or enter criteria you wish to search on and click the SEARCH button, which is accessible from the top or bottom of the page. If you wish to start over, click CLEAR ALL. Please note, the more criteria you select or enter, the fewer results you will get. If you get no results, try eliminating one or more of your criteria to widen your search.
No matter where you are on the site you can always return to the home/general search page by clicking on either the SynchExpress.com logo at the top left of the page, or the "Home/Log In" link at the top of the page.
If you want to search again, or modify your results, you don’t have to go back to the home page. SynchExpress.com features a NEW SEARCH bar on the left side of the page with your results which allows you to start over or narrow your results. SynchExpress remembers your original search criteria and inserts it into the NEW SEARCH area. Using the left scroll bar on the page, enter or select new search criteria. If you wish to start your search completely over, click the CLEAR ALL button at the bottom of the search bar. If you don’t want to start over but would like to narrow your current results, select the SEARCH ONLY WITHIN THESE RESULTS button. After you have made all your selections and entries, click the SEARCH button located at either the top or bottom area of the NEW SEARCH bar. At the very bottom of the NEW SEARCH bar, a drop down menu allows you to choose the total number of songs results you wish to view on a page.
Click on song titles in your SEARCH RESULTS to view song and licensing information in the bottom window. Song information includes copyright detail (such as writer, publisher and territory information) and recording information (including the artist, mood, instruments, label, distributor, language, vocals, version, genre, subgenre, tempo, release year, song length, and other miscellaneous notes). You can resize either of these two windows by dragging the bar between the two panes up or down. If you are VIP Client of SynchExpress you have additional functionality which is described in this help section under MY PROJECTS/VIP.
If an AUDIO ICON appears next to a song in the SEARCH RESULTS or in the SONG INFORMATION window under LISTEN TO RECORDING, simply click on the icon next to each song in the search results to trigger a streaming audio clip.
