Soundtrack for a greener future

I extend my congratulations to all production companies picked for this year’s Best Places to Work in TV list. As a reference, when I’m not penning articles, my day job is delivering music to creatives. This means I’m the lucky man who gets to collaborate with producers, editors, directors and production managers, helping them source the perfect tracks for shows.

It’s a privileged position to be in. As we all know, music holds a great power. It can evoke emotions, create drama or convey a scene, which in turn grips an audience and keeps them coming back for more. Correctly soundtracking a show or series is an art form. When sound meets vision and music meets footage, a strong partnership is formed.

At Universal Production Music, our primary goal is to form sustainable partnerships. In 2015, when Broadcast first launched Best Places to Work in Television, we immediately took the opportunity to partner and sponsor the initiative. We have continued supporting BPTW for the past nine years because we share your goals.

Our aim is to create a working environment for our colleagues and composers that enhances our creativity and takes it to new heights.

Last year, we made some changes to our environment that have made a world of difference. We merged our sales and marketing departments and rebranded them as our partnerships team.

This move has allowed us to implement creative ideas and initiatives faster. By aligning the two departments that communicate with our audience the most, we can provide better service to our Universal Production Music clients. The partnerships team’s role is to provide any editor with a welcoming and seamless experience. This makes them feel reassured that our music library is the only place they need to visit.

Talking of locations, we cut the ribbon and opened our office in Manchester. Our Senior Regional Partnerships Manager, Will Hampson, and his team based directly in the heart of MediaCityUK have strengthened our relationships with key broadcasters, such as the BBC and ITV.

We thank you for inspiring us with this decision. Seeing independent production companies thriving in various parts of the UK motivates us to continue delivering our music to all nations and regions.

If you attend the Best Places to Work in TV event in London, you’ll be shown the launch video for Green Production Music. I’m very excited about this initiative and want every production company and broadcaster to know it.

As you may know, the UK has become the first major economy to pass a legally binding net zero target for 2050. So, to support our pledge, we have made it our mission to be the first publisher to create green music.

“We are committed to encouraging our network of composers to join us in our journey towards sustainability”

Universal Production Music is one of the world’s most influential and innovative music companies. As a responsible organisation, we have taken the initiative to lead the way in driving climate action.

We are committed to encouraging our network of composers to join us in our journey towards sustainability, and we aim to empower them to create beautiful music with increasingly sustainable practices that are conscious of the environmental impacts on where we live and how we work.

By using production music that has been created via sustainable practices, you can improve your chances of obtaining the Albert Sustainable Production Certifications. This can also increase your chances of winning commissions from broadcasters committed to making positive environmental changes.

The good news is that Green Production Music is now green to go. If you want to sync sustainably on your next production, head to the Universal Production Music website to learn more.

Being one of the best places to work in television, you should always have access to the finest music. And, as we’ve been hearing, music is an influential tool in your armoury, so when you and your team are working on your next show or series, do not hesitate to leverage the power of Universal Production Music.

• Alex Mearns is Partnerships Director UK at Universal Production Music