Hits for sale: Notable artists who have had their music catalogs sell for big money
Kiss agreed to sell their catalog, brand name and IP to Swedish company Pophouse in a deal estimated to be over $300 million
On Thursday, it was announced that American rock band Kiss had sold their catalog, brand name and IP to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment Group in a deal estimated to be over $300 million. They're the latest to participate in an ongoing trend of blockbuster acts and their rights holders inking deals to sell their back-catalogs, often for impressive sums.
It's big business — especially considering that two-thirds of all music streamed is made up of catalog music, and streaming accounts for 84% of all music industry revenue. Not every artist disclosed the amounts involved but some deals have been estimated at as much as half a billion dollars. (A figure that could be eclipsed when the Michael Jackson estate sells the singer's catalog.)
Let's take a look at some notable cases.
The singer known for such hits as “Born to Run” and “Hungry Heart” sold his music catalog to Sony Music Group in late 2021 for an estimated $550 million, The New York Times reported.
The Nobel Prize-winning songwriter in 2020 sold publishing rights to his catalog of more than 600 songs to the Universal Music Publishing Group. The singer’s collection includes modern standards like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” Industry experts estimated the deal was in the range of $300 million to a half-billion dollars.
In 2021, Sony Music Publishing acquired Simon’s catalog for an undisclosed amount, including his solo work and Simon & Garfunkel hits such as “The Sound of Silence" and «Mrs. Robinson.»
Long known for his refusal to license his music for commercial use, Young sold a 50 percent stake in his catalog to
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