John Williams' film scores (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, ET, Schindler's List) are owned by the studios. Disney/Lucasfilm controls Star Wars, Universal controls Jurassic Park and ET, Warner Bros. controls Harry Potter, etc.
Indicative master + publishing rates for a typical placement. Final fees depend on territory, term, media, exclusivity, scene length, and how front-of-mix the cue is. Clearance routes through the originating film studio's music department, not the composer's office.
Rates shown are illustrative ranges based on 2026 industry comparables for combined master + publishing fees. Actual quotes depend on usage scope and clearance posture. Get a custom sync quote →
John Williams' film scores (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, ET, Schindler's List) are owned by the studios. Disney/Lucasfilm controls Star Wars, Universal controls Jurassic Park and ET, Warner Bros. controls Harry Potter, etc.
Disney/Lucasfilm (Star Wars, Indiana Jones), Universal (Jurassic Park, ET, Schindler's List), Warner Bros. (Harry Potter), Paramount (other titles). Williams retains some publishing share via his own John Williams Music.
A sync placement requires both a master-use license (from the recorded-music owner) and a synchronization license (from the song's publisher / songwriters). For John Williams, those rights sit as follows.
Disney/Lucasfilm, Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount (studio-by-title); John Williams Music (some publishing share)
Disney/Lucasfilm (Star Wars, Indiana Jones), Universal (Jurassic Park, ET, Schindler's List), Warner Bros. (Harry Potter), Paramount (other titles). Williams retains some publishing share via his own John Williams Music.
Rights ownership and administration can change. Always confirm current control via the rights holder's licensing department or a music supervisor before quoting a placement.
The most iconic Williams themes (Star Wars main title, Imperial March, Jaws theme) are among the most-licensed orchestral cues in the world and are priced accordingly. Disney is generally the most restrictive licensor of the studios that hold his scores.
If you own master rights, publishing rights, or a catalog with sound-alike or genre-adjacent positioning to John Williams, MoveMusic runs flat-fee, AI-driven outreach campaigns to sync buyers actively shopping for that profile — music supervisors, ad agencies, library music supervisors, and trailer houses. We do the research, the pitch package, and the buyer outreach. You hold all the rights and approve every placement.
Flat fee. No commission. No exclusivity. We pitch your catalog directly to verified sync buyers looking for this lane. Most campaigns receive their first inbound interest within 14 days.
Start My Campaign See PricingCombined master and publishing fees for a John Williams placement typically run $75K–$300K for a featured TV or film use, with major-film placements ranging $50K–$500K and TV episode uses at $25K–$200K. National advertising fees go higher — commonly $100K–$1M. Final pricing depends on territory, term, media scope, exclusivity, and how prominently the cue features.
Disney/Lucasfilm (Star Wars, Indiana Jones), Universal (Jurassic Park, ET, Schindler's List), Warner Bros. (Harry Potter), Paramount (other titles). Williams retains some publishing share via his own John Williams Music.
Plan for 4–8 weeks for a major-artist sync clearance, longer if the catalog is held by an estate or has a selective approval posture. Multi-writer credits add publisher-by-publisher coordination time. The most iconic Williams themes (Star Wars main title, Imperial March, Jaws theme) are among the most-licensed orchestral cues in the world and are priced accordingly. Disney is generally the most restrictive licensor of the studios that hold his scores.
Yes — sync buyers regularly need John Williams-adjacent music when the original is unavailable, too expensive, or clearance-blocked. MoveMusic packages your catalog against active sync briefs and pitches it to music supervisors, ad agencies, and library music supervisors looking for that specific lane. Flat fee, no commission, you keep all rights.