Photo Credit: Cécile Boko (Lil Wayne)
Universal Music Group and HEAT have announced a new collaborative initiative with Lil Wayne and CG5 to make their licensed music tracks available to game developers.
First announced at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, the partnership will offer game devs the ability to seamlessly license emotes into their projects. Think of Fortnite’s character feature packs—Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, and Travis Scott have all been featured.
UMG says this new initiative addresses the growing demand for emotes in the gaming space. Starting May 1, Lil Wayne tracks “Uproar” and “GO DJ” and CG5 tracks “I See A Dreamer,” “Sleep Well,” Let Me In,” and “Dancin’” will be available on the HEAT platform. HEAT is a new marketplace that connects animators, game developers, and 3D artists with a rich repository of motion data and music.
“This initiative with HEAT enables these UMG labels and artists to be the first to effectively distribute new tracks into gaming development tools and platforms,” shares Alvaro Galbete-Velilla, SVP of New Business at UMG. “It amplifies engagement with fans, enabling their music to shape gaming and social experiences that drive virality.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring these visionary artists’ music into HEAT in collaboration with Republic Records, Virgin Music Group, and UMG,” adds John Stavas, CEO of HEAT. “This will unlock new creative and commercial opportunities for artists, from AAA games to indie 3D creators building the future of interactive entertainment.”
UMG is hosting a series of events aimed at exploring the synergies between games and music at GDC. The event will be hosted at San Francisco’s Monarch Club and will close the 2025 GDC event with a DJ set from Virgin Music Group artist SOFI TUKKER. UMG’s labels and artists have made significant inroads into the gaming industry, leading some of the most impactful collaborations in the space.
Content shared from www.digitalmusicnews.com.