Downtown Publishing Acquires Film/TV Catalogs for ‘Kardashians,’ ‘Project Runway,’ More (EXCLUSIVE)
By Variety Staff
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Downtown Music Publishing has added three catalogs to its substantial roster of film music, which includes such composers as Hans Zimmer, Atticus Ross, Marco Beltrami, Trevor Rabin, Heitor Pereira and the late Sir George Martin: Note Republic, Court TV, and Indian Paintbrush .
Through its acquisition of Note Republic, Downtown has acquired over 2,900 songs and music cues from reality television pioneer Bunim/Murray Productions, which includes the shows “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” “Project Runway,” “The Real World,” and others.
The company has also purchased the music rights to “Forensic Files” from Court TV, covering music cues from the crime series’ 406 episodes and iconic theme song composed by Alan Palanker and Robert Kahn. It also will be administering the music catalogs from film production house Indian Paintbrush, home to Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Isle of the Dogs,” among others.
“Preserving and promoting culture is a key component of our mission at Downtown,” said Andrew Sparkler, Downtown’s svp of Business Development. “From building up suspense in ‘Forensic Files,’ increasing drama in ‘The Kardashians,’ or acting as an invisible cast member in a Wes Anderson movie, these songs are true examples of how songwriting can impact a multimedia experience, irrespective of language or dialogue.”
The company recently recruited Bruce Lampcov as Head of West Coast Business Development to continue building Downtown’s roster of media companies, film composers, and prominent artist and songwriter catalogs.
Through Downtown’s affiliate, Songtrust, the world’s largest technology platform for songwriting royalties, the company is able to collect royalties for film score, television cues and other media directly from over 120 countries.
In addition to its roster of composers, Downtown manages music from operas, plays, Broadway shows, films, and television programs such as “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Memphis,” “Welcome Back Kotter,” “Party of Five” and “12 Years a Slave.”
