APM Music To Serve as Unified Music Resource for Major League Baseball Under the deal, the production-music supplier will also manage copyright clearance By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Major League Baseball and APM Music have reached an agreement under which the Los Angeles-based production-music supplier will provide all the prerecorded music from its catalogs used by the league and its 30 teams, collectively and individually, for broadcast, in-venue, commercial, promotional, and social-media applications. It will also manage copyright-clearance services for music from other sources.
The term of the agreement, which was signed in December but not announced at the time, is four years. The dollar value was not disclosed but is based on a flat annual fee.
The exclusive, league-wide deal builds on previous arrangements with individual MLB teams, including the New York Mets, for which APM created custom music and scoring as well as providing other audio resources and related services for multiple in-stadium and broadcast applications.
APM Music's Matthew Gutknecht: The goal is to create a unifying, creative resource across teams, the league, cable properties, and digital, while also managing liability.
Potential audio services under consideration include sound design, such as creation of sonic-branding elements that teams can use for marketing purposes.
According to Matthew Gutknecht, director, sports entertainment, APM Music, the arrangement can be scaled according to individual teams' financial resources and creative needs. For instance, original music scores for team and league productions will be available as a separate option.
The 40-year-old company, owned jointly by Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing, has an extensive history in developing production music for broadcast sports. Among its clients are the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers, MLB L.A. Dodgers, MLS Philadelphia Union, and NBA L.A. Lakers; production entities NASCAR, NFL Films, and PGA TOUR Productions; and collegiate athletics programs at Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia, and Clemson. Its sports-music roster includes some iconic tracks, such as Heavy Action, familiar as the Monday Night Football theme, and catalogs like the NFL Films Music Library and MLB Music Library.
It was very challenging to get the league to agree to a league-wide deal, where some teams have more [media] resources [and] others had little or no budget for that, Gutknecht says. We were able to equitably create a solution right down the middle to make everyone as happy as possible. The goal is to create a unifying, creative resource - a level playing field, no pun intended - across teams, the league, cable properties, and digital, while also managing liability as broadly as possible at reasonable cost.
Legal Land Mines The reference to liability underscores a music-media legal land mine increasingly encountered by broadcast sports: copyright-infringement litigation between leagues, broadcasters, and music publishers. For instance, if music properly licensed, through a performing-rights organization such as BMI or ASCAP, for in-venue use over the PA system in a venue leaks into a game broadcast, that could constitute unintended but nonetheless very real copyright infringement. Such litigation has become more frequent in recent years as the range of outlets and number of sports media on the air and online have mushroomed, as has the number of open microphones in sports venues - including a growing array worn by the athletes themselves - creating more potential for unintended copyright infringements.
The rules of the game have changed, say Gutknecht, referring to rightsholders' more forcefully asserting such infringements. We interface with legal departments far more now than in the past.
Having a legal framework in place around music usage could encourage the use of more music and in more ways, he contends: People are thinking about music differently now that they don't have to be concerned about liability. Now they can get above that and think of their overall content strategy. What's their opening video, what's their special anniversary? Is there a uniform reveal? All of that needs music.
Major Leagues, Big Deals The MLB deal is similar to one that APM Music secured with the National Hockey League in October 2021. Under the terms of the MLB arrangement, teams will be able to use APM's music resources - current inventory and archives - and copyright-clearance services for music from such other sources as the vast catalogs of Universal Music and Sony Music.
We're not like music supervisors, says Gutknecht, referring to those who manage the music choices for film and television projects. But we're starting to lean in that direction. We're not there just to provide a resource but also to advise our clients.
He notes that, since the NHL deal, sports leagues have significantly increased their use of music in venues, on-air, and, particularly, on social media, where he adds, copyright issues increasingly occur. Furthermore, baseball has developed additional applications for music, notably the increased use of walk-up music, songs individually chosen by hitters and played as they approach the batter's box. In some cases, to avoid unintentional infringements, small PA systems have been built in some stadiums to keep that music focused on the home-plate area and out of the effects microphones surrounding it.
People are beginning to realize that you can't just take a clip from a game and post it to social media; there is no implied sync,' Gutknecht says, referring to synchronization licenses that allow film and television to secure rights to use music. We're trying to cover
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions for broadcast, post, and professional AV will showcase its latest signal processing solutions at B...
19/05/2026
Media Links, a leading developer and manufacturer of IP media transport solutions, has announced the integration of its Xscend platform with Skyline Communicat...
19/05/2026
Collaboration expands regional partner ecosystem as Media Links showcases IP media transport solutions on stand 4M4-4 and alongside Clearcast Asia on stand
Me...
19/05/2026
Company Highlights Labor-Saving Control and Custom Branding Opportunities Designed to Increase Integrator Profitability
LynTec, a leading manufacturer of ele...
19/05/2026
Mago Studio Moves AI Video Beyond Prompts with New Production-Focused Tools
Brie Clayton May 18, 2026
0 Comments
New Capabilities Bring Controllable, ...
19/05/2026
It May be Time to Stop and Take an AI Breather
Brie Clayton May 19, 2026
0 Comments
If the rock you stay on starts to roll, jump clean. Or you'll...
18/05/2026
Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...
18/05/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...
18/05/2026
CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...
18/05/2026
Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...
18/05/2026
eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...
18/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/05/2026
With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage
After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...
18/05/2026
(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...
18/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
18/05/2026
ZEN-Core synth goes mobile
Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...
18/05/2026
Versatile new limiter plug-in announced
Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...
18/05/2026
A new use for convolution?
Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...
18/05/2026
Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...
18/05/2026
The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...
18/05/2026
Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support.
CV...
18/05/2026
Agentic AI inference at one-tenth the cost per token with NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL7...
18/05/2026
18 May 2026
Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...
18/05/2026
Monday 18 May 2026
Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...
18/05/2026
Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
17/05/2026
Back to All News
Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19
Entertainment
17 May 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
APM Music To Serve as Unified Music Resource for Major League Baseball Under the deal, the production-music supplier will also manage copyright clearance By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
