According to entertainment publication, Billboard, the deal will give Sony ownership of the entire catalog of multiple Grammy Award winners, including the 15-time platinum album “Born in the USA” and the five-time platinum “The River.”
Although no public announcement has been made about the deal, the value could be more than $500 million, two people familiar with the matter told The New York Times.
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The 72-year-old’s deal is the latest in a series of similar deals struck by some of the music industry’s big names over the years. Here, we take a look at some:
Bob Dylan and Universal Music Group
In December 2020, American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan sold the rights to his entire song catalog to Universal Music Group (UMG). The deal included more than 600 of Dylan’s tracks that were produced over a career spanning six decades.
Even though the price of the deal was not disclosed, UMG purchased Dylan’s entire songwriting catalog, which included popular classics such as “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They’re A-Changin'” and “Like a Rolling Stone”. Huh.
In a report, The New York Times estimated that Dylan’s deal with UMG is worth more than $300 million. It was reported at the time as one of the largest acquisitions of a solo songwriter’s music publishing rights to date.
Lucian Grainge, President and CEO of Universal Music Group, commented on the deal in a statement, saying that Dylan’s songs were “moving”, “exciting” and “timeless”.
Paul Simon and Sony
American musician Paul Simon sold his entire songwriting catalog earlier this year in March in a blockbuster deal with Sony. The deal price has not been disclosed and further details of the acquisition have not been made public.
The deal covers more than six decades of music from Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Mrs Robinson” and Simon’s solo hits such as “You Can Call Me Al” and “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” is included.
In a statement, Simon said he was delighted to have Sony as the “patron” of his songs for “decades to come”. Simon said, “I started my career at Columbia/Sony Records and working with the publishing side also seems like a natural extension.”
The New York Times described the deal as significant for Sony because, despite being one of the largest in the industry, its publishing division had seen some high-profile defections.
Stevie Nicks and Primary Wave Music
In another big deal, American songwriter Stevie Nicks, best known for his work with the band Fleetwood Mac, sold the copyrights to some of his most popular songs in a reported $100 million deal.
According to reports, Nick sold his 80 per cent stake in his publishing rights to Primary Wave Music. The deal included the multi-award-winning greatest hits as a solo artist and hits including “Landslide,” “Edge of Seventeen” and “Dreams,” which featured members of the 1960s British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. were displayed as ,
Shakira and the Hypnosis
In January 2021, popular Colombian singer Shakira cashed in on the hits of her career in a deal with London-based music royalty investment firm Hipgnosis. The deal included all 145 Shakira songs, including popular songs such as ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, ‘Whenever’, ‘Whereever’ and the 2010 FIFA World Cup song ‘Waka Waka’.
“At the age of eight, long before the song, I wrote to understand the world. I know Hypgnosis would be a good home for my catalog,” the popular Latin singer was quoted as saying by The Guardian after the deal it was done.
Although the price of the deal was not made public, the BBC reported it to amount to several million dollars.
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