Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a new partnership with HEAT, a game development platform, to expand how music is integrated into video games. The collaboration will allow game developers to access and use music from UMG artists directly within gaming platforms. Beginning May 1, Lil Wayne’s tracks “Uproar” and “GO DJ” will be available, along with CG5’s songs “I See A Dreamer,” “Sleep Well,” “Let Me In,” and “Dancin’.”
Lil Wayne’s music is released through Republic Records, while CG5, also known as Charlie Green, is signed to Virgin Music Group. Both labels operate under UMG. HEAT is a digital marketplace that offers emotes and game-ready assets to developers and animators. These assets are compatible with popular game engines such as Blender, Unity, and Unreal Engine.
The announcement was made on March 20 at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. According to Alvaro Galbete-Velilla, UMG’s Senior Vice President of New Business, the partnership provides a way for UMG’s artists and labels to distribute songs directly to developers. He stated that this model can increase how music is used within interactive environments, particularly games and virtual platforms.
Josh Latin, co-founder and COO of HEAT, said this collaboration represents a shift in how music can be experienced in gaming spaces. He explained that HEAT’s goal is to allow music to be more integrated into interactive experiences, with fans engaging with music not only through listening but also through gameplay.
HEAT’s CEO John Stavas commented on the new opportunity for developers and artists. He noted that music from both well-known and independent artists will now be more accessible to creators working across a range of game sizes and formats.
The gaming industry continues to grow as a space for music exposure. In 2022, it was valued at $217.06 billion, with expectations for further growth in the coming years. However, music still represents a very small portion of in-game spending. A recent estimate from Reactional Music, a startup focused on music integration in games, reported that only about 0.01% of in-game spending currently goes toward music.
UMG has been increasing its presence in gaming over the past few years. In 2023, the company introduced Beat Galaxy, a virtual music hub on Roblox. Later that year, Republic Records launched the Boombox music player, also on Roblox. In addition, UMG’s production music company APM, co-owned with Sony Music Group, partnered with Reactional Music in 2023. In 2024, UMG signed a deal with Tuned Global, a business-to-business streaming service that helps other companies—including game developers—add licensed music to their products.
The partnership with HEAT represents another effort by UMG to connect artists and developers and to make licensed music more available within digital environments. It reflects an ongoing strategy to reach audiences through new platforms beyond traditional streaming or broadcast models.
