Get the latest gossip
Heaven 17 v Rockstar: are games being fair to music artists?
The band’s Martyn Ware has hit out at the fee offered for Temptation in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. But as music becomes ever more central to gaming, the sums get complicated
The 1983 song Temptation by Heaven 17 is an undisputed classic of the synth pop era, a glacial paean to sexual tension denied the number No 1 spot only by the sheer might of True by Spandau Ballet. Over the next 20 years, licensed music became an intrinsic element of game design, from the PlayStation classic WipEout to long-running franchises such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Guitar Hero and Grand Theft Auto, which have featured hundreds of songs. Launching in early 2025, Catalog is a platform devised by music supervision company Too Young offering a curated selection of sync-ready tracks to the games, film and advertising industries, and it’s supported by more than 20 labels including Ninja Tune, City Slang and Beggars.
Or read this on The Guardian