Combination to Enhance Client Offerings, Open New Opportunities for Artist Producers
Universal Publishing Production Music, the leading global production music company, today announced that two of its companies – Santa Monica-based Universal Production Music and Dallas-based FirstCom Music – are merging to create a new U.S.-based production music powerhouse, unsurpassed in services, offerings and quality of music.
The combined entity will operate as Universal Production Music and will provide clients with personalized services, taking advantage of its world-class production music library, innovative search technologies, support from top creative teams, and streamlined licensing capabilities. As part of the global Universal Production Music family, which has operations across more than 30 countries, the combination will also draw upon the resources of its parent company, Universal Music Group, the world leader in music-based entertainment.
“The marriage of these two U.S.-based production music superstars highlights Universal Production Music’s place as the industry’s finest, truly global brand,” said Michael Sammis, President of Universal Production Music. “Our newly combined U.S. team will partner with colleagues around the world to pursue new talent, develop innovative services, and use trend insights to benefit our customers’ projects. Together, they will continue to drive innovation while delivering superior music and services to our client base.”
In the U.S., Universal Production Music will operate under the leadership of Noah Rubinstein, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, and Carl Peel, Vice President of Repertoire. Rubinstein will report to Senior Vice President & General Manager George Macias; Peel will report to Senior Vice President of Global Repertoire Ken Nelson. Macias and Nelson report to Sammis.
“Combining our efforts offers clients a more expansive pool of artists, composers and producers to meet their real-time demands for compelling, new music,” said Peel. “This also creates more opportunities for our artist producers, as well as greater exposure for their music and access to more channels and client projects.”
“Current customers will continue to be supported by the same dedicated and knowledgeable account managers and search specialists whom they’ve trusted for years,” said Rubinstein. “We’ve brought the best of both worlds together and we’re now uniquely positioned to serve clients and prospective clients in every key vertical.”
The company’s merged catalog will be available through the single, expanded Universal Production Music website: www.universalproductionmusic.com.
About Universal Production Music
Universal Production Music, a division of Universal Music Publishing Group and Universal Music Group, is one of the world’s leading production music companies. Home to an award-winning catalog spanning all genres, moods, emotions and project types, Universal Production Music creates, produces and licenses music for use in film, television, advertising, broadcast and other media.
Universal Production Music has a suite of international production music labels including Abbey Road Masters, A Remarkable Idea, Atmosphere Music, Audio Wax, Aurora, Capitol Studio Masters, Chappell, Chronic Trax, EVO, Freshworx, Front Runners, Gotham, ICON Trailer Music, In Reality, Killer Tracks, Network Music, New York Beats, Nova, OneMusic, Pedigree Cuts, SEE, Sonic Beat Records, True Stories, Velocity, Vitamin A and many more. For more information, visit: www.universalproductionmusic.com.
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AICP’s Demographic Reporting Initiative Expands Categories To Reflect Client and Agency Requests
AICP has announced that an updated template for its Demographic Reporting Initiative is now available. Originally launched in October of 2021, the Demographic Reporting Initiative allows production companies to provide their advertiser and agency clients with insight into the demographic makeup of the people on the crews of their commercials and brand content. As with version 1.0, the 2.0 iteration was prepared in cooperation with a consortium of industry payroll companies. This updated version of the Demographic Reporting initiative has greatly expanded the listing of gender identity categories, and added the ability for production staff to include their veteran status in the U.S. Armed Forces. These reports will provide AICP member production companies with anonymous and voluntarily provided breakdowns on these demographic categories, which can in turn be shared with agencies and advertisers upon request. More information on the Demographic Reporting Initiative can be found on the AICP website here. The updated Demographic Reporting Initiative framework was revised as a result of a continued push from marketers for this information, noted Sheila R. Brown, AICP’s Vice President, Equity & Inclusion. “The demand for demographic information from marketers directly and their advertising agencies continues to grow,” Brown notes. “As our communities become more diverse, the yearning to know the make-up of the production crews increases. And in our continuing goal to be more inclusive, we also wanted to offer our production crews more options to self-identify. The addition of more gender identity options, and the option to indicate whether an individual is a veteran or... Read More