Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has sold his music publishing and recording catalogue shares to Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital for USD200 million, the company said Tuesday, marking the industry’s latest blockbuster rights deal.
The sale had been rumoured for weeks, having first been reported by the Wall Street Journal in late December. The deal sees the 28-year-old join a who’s who of artists who have cashed out on their catalogues, including Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.
Hipgnosis did not publicly disclose terms of the deal, but a source close to the matter told AFP it was worth around $200 million.
The staggering sums – Springsteen’s catalogue went to Sony for a reported half billion dollars – are considered safe bets both for older artists getting their finances in order and investors who can count on consistent returns from time-tested music and streaming.
Younger catalogues are seen as riskier territory, but Bieber is among the best-selling artists ever, and now Hipgnosis has his share in some of the 21st century’s biggest hits including “Baby” and “Sorry”.
Deep Impact?
Hipgnosis Songs Capital is a $1 billion venture between US private equity firm Blackstone LLP and the UK’s Hipgnosis Song Management. Hipgnosis Song Management is the investment adviser of London-listed Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd.
Hipgnosis Songs Capital said it acquired Bieber’s interest in his publishing copyrights to his 290-song back catalogue – all of his music released prior to December 31, 2021.
Bieber’s long-time home Universal will continue to administer the catalogue, another source close to the deal said, and still owns the artist’s master recordings. Hipgnosis has acquired the artist’s stake in his masters as well as his neighbouring rights – a royalty that sees its owner receive a payment every time a song is played publicly.
After the Canada native was discovered on YouTube as a teen, Bieber skyrocketed to global fame, selling more than 150 million records.
He has charted eight number-one records on Billboard’s top albums list, and his songs have streamed on Spotify alone more than 32 billion times.
“The impact of Justin Bieber on global culture over the last 14 years has truly been remarkable,” said Hipgnosis chief Merck Mercuriadis, a longtime music industry executive, in a statement.
“At only 28 years of age, he is one of a handful of defining artists of the streaming era that has revitalized the entire music industry, taking a loyal and worldwide audience with him on a journey from teen phenomenon to culturally important artist.”
How it Works
Owners of a song’s publishing rights receive a cut in various scenarios, including radio play and streaming, album sales, and use in advertising and movies. Recording rights govern reproduction and distribution.
The flurry of sales came amid a wider conversation over artists’ ownership of the work, amplified in large part by Taylor Swift, who has found resounding success as she re-records her first six albums so she can control their master recording rights.
That move stemmed from Swift’s very public feud with Scooter Braun, the music manager whose company once owned her original masters, and later sold them to the investment firm Shamrock Holdings.
Braun has been Bieber’s manager for 15 years, and in a statement said “when Justin made the decision to make a catalogue deal we quickly found the best partner to preserve and grow this amazing legacy was Merck and Hipgnosis.”
“Justin is truly a once-in-a generation artist and that is reflected and acknowledged by the magnitude of this deal.”
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