APM Music (Associated Production Music, LLC) is the largest production music company in the industry, headquartered in Hollywood, California. Founded in 1983 as a joint venture between Zomba/Jive Production Music and EMI Production Music, APM is now jointly owned by Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group. The company's catalog contains over 1 million tracks from more than 300 global libraries, including renowned collections like KPM Music, Bruton, Sonoton, Cezame, and Kosinus.
How APM Music Works
APM solves a fundamental problem in music licensing: the separation of publishing and master rights. Historically, creators had to track down both the publisher (who controls the composition) and the record label (who controls the recording) to license a single track. APM consolidates both sides. Every track on the platform comes with publishing and master rights cleared through a single transaction.
The company employs a team of award-winning Music Directors who work directly with clients to curate and deliver playlists for any production. Clients can also search the catalog independently through APM's online platform, which includes advanced filtering by mood, genre, instrumentation, tempo, and energy level.
APM's licenses are tailored to the specific project. Pricing depends on the media type (film, TV, advertising, corporate, broadcast), territory (local, regional, worldwide), and duration of use. Clients pay only for what they need.
Catalog and Libraries
APM represents over 300 diverse global libraries with more than 1 million tracks:
- KPM Music: Historic British production music library dating back to the 1930s
- Bruton: Classic production music spanning orchestral, jazz, and contemporary styles
- Sonoton: European production music with cinematic and world music collections
- Cezame: French library known for orchestral and electronic scores
- Kosinus: French library specializing in cinematic and dramatic music
- APM Exclusive: Original content produced specifically for APM
The catalog covers every genre from orchestral and cinematic to electronic, rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, world, and ambient. New music is added regularly to reflect current trends and demands from music supervisors.
Real-World Example
A music supervisor working on a network drama needs a 45-second orchestral cue for an emotional scene. Instead of hiring a composer or negotiating with a record label and a publisher separately, the supervisor searches APM's catalog, filters by "orchestral" and "emotional," and finds a suitable track from the KPM library. The supervisor licenses both the composition and the master recording through APM in a single transaction. The fee might range from $500 for a single TV episode use to several thousand dollars for worldwide distribution, depending on the negotiated terms.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
APM's scale means your music can reach supervisors working on the biggest productions in entertainment. In 2025, over 70% of the top-grossing domestic films used APM music, and 18 out of 35 Oscar-nominated feature films used APM music in their production or marketing. Getting your music into an APM library puts it in front of music supervisors who are actively searching for tracks for high-profile projects.
If you are a composer or publisher, APM accepts submissions through their website. The company looks for broadcast-quality recordings that fill specific market needs. Having your music in an APM library means it sits alongside historic collections like KPM and Bruton, giving it instant credibility with supervisors who trust the APM brand.
Industry Impact
- Over 70% of 2025's top-grossing domestic films used APM music
- 18 out of 35 Oscar-nominated feature films used APM music in 2025
- Over 1 million tracks from 300-plus global libraries
- Joint venture between Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group
- Operates specialized divisions: APM Film and TV, APM Games (GameRoom), APM Sports, and APM Custom
Company Type
APM Music is a production music library and licensing platform. It is not a royalty-free marketplace or a sync placement agency. The company aggregates catalogs from over 300 independent production music libraries and makes them available to media producers through a centralized search and licensing system. APM also operates a custom scoring division (APM Custom) for clients who need original music composed for specific projects. The company is jointly owned by Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group, giving it access to both companies' production music assets.
Licensing Model
APM uses a per-use and blanket license model. There is no subscription tier for individual creators. Pricing works as follows:
- Per-use licensing: Clients pay a fee based on media type (film, TV, advertising, corporate, broadcast), territory (local, regional, worldwide), and duration of use. Both publishing and master rights are cleared in a single transaction. A single TV episode use might cost $500. Worldwide advertising campaigns can reach several thousand dollars per track.
- Blanket licenses: High-volume clients (TV networks, streaming services, sports broadcasters) pay an annual or quarterly blanket fee for unlimited access to the catalog within defined parameters. This is the most common arrangement for broadcast clients.
- Direct buyout: Available for specific projects where perpetual rights are needed. Pricing is negotiated case by case.
APM does not offer a self-serve checkout for individual creators. All licensing is handled through account managers or the online platform with an established account. The company requires a business inquiry to set up access.
Catalog Size and Genre Coverage
APM's catalog contains over 1 million tracks from more than 300 global libraries. Genre coverage spans every major category: orchestral, cinematic, electronic, rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, world, ambient, blues, country, Latin, and production music subgenres. The catalog includes historic libraries like KPM Music (dating to the 1930s), Bruton, Sonoton, Cezame, and Kosinus. New music is added regularly based on demand from music supervisors.
Clients
APM serves professional media producers:
- TV networks: Major broadcast and cable networks use blanket licenses for daily programming
- Film studios: Over 70% of 2025's top-grossing domestic films used APM music
- Advertising agencies: Global ad agencies license tracks for commercial campaigns
- Sports broadcasters: APM Sports division serves sports content producers including NFL partners
- Video game studios: APM Games (GameRoom) provides music for game developers
- Streaming services: Original content producers for streaming platforms
- Corporate clients: Internal video and training content producers
APM is not designed for individual YouTube creators or hobbyists. The platform requires a business account and professional use case.
How APM Pays Artists
APM does not sign individual composers directly in most cases. Instead, it partners with established production music libraries that own their catalogs. The payment structure works as follows:
- Library owners: APM pays library partners a share of licensing revenue. The exact split varies by contract and is negotiated between APM and each library.
- Composers: Composers are paid by their library, not by APM directly. Each library has its own composer agreement. Typical arrangements include upfront fees per track, royalty splits from licensing revenue, and PRO (performance rights organization) royalties for broadcast use.
- No open submission payouts: APM accepts submissions through its website, but getting accepted means your music joins a library that APM distributes. You do not get paid directly by APM per placement.
- PRO royalties: Tracks used in broadcast media generate performance royalties collected by PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC in the US). These are paid separately from sync fees, directly to composers and publishers through their PRO.
Comparison: APM Music vs Other Sync Licensing Companies
| Feature | APM Music | Epidemic Sound | Artlist | AudioJungle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company type | Production music library | Royalty-free subscription | Royalty-free subscription | Royalty-free marketplace |
| Catalog size | 1,000,000+ tracks | 40,000+ tracks | 20,000+ tracks | 1,000,000+ items |
| Pricing model | Per-use and blanket licenses | Subscription ($15 to $49/month) | Subscription ($10 to $17/month) | Per-item purchase |
| Who it serves | TV networks, film studios, ad agencies | YouTube creators, freelancers | Video creators, freelancers | Budget creators, freelancers |
| Publishing + master rights | Both cleared in one transaction | Both cleared | Both cleared | Varies by item |
| PRO royalty collection | Yes, through libraries | No (royalty-free model) | No (royalty-free model) | Varies |
| Open submissions | Yes, through website | Yes, through application | Yes, through application | Yes, open marketplace |
| Adobe Premiere plugin | Yes | No | No | No |
| AI search tools | Yes (Sonic Similarity, Prompt Search) | Basic search | Basic search | Basic search |
Platform Demo and Videos
APM Music's Office Hours session demonstrating platform search tools, including AI-powered Prompt Search, Sonic Similarity, collaborative projects, and the Adobe Premiere Pro plugin:
APM Music's Collaborative Projects feature, which allows music teams to share playlists and notes within the APM platform:
Adam Taylor, President and CEO of APM Music, discussing production music strategy, composer advocacy, and the impact of AI on the industry:
Similar Sync Licensing Companies
- Universal Production Music - APM's co-owner's production music division, serving markets outside North America
- BMG Production Music - Major publisher production music catalog
- Extreme Music - Sony Music Publishing production music library
- KPM Music - Historic British library distributed through APM
- Killer Tracks - Production music library with similar blanket license model
- APM Custom - APM's custom scoring division for original compositions
Related Resources
- Sync Licensing Companies Directory - Browse more sync licensing companies
- APM Custom Profile - Learn about APM's custom music division
- Sync Licensing Fee Calculator - Estimate licensing fees for your projects
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Calculate streaming revenue alongside sync income
- Visit APM Music for catalog access and licensing information
