Carole Bayer Sager, the renowned American songwriter, has recently sold a significant portion of her music catalogue to Hipgnosis Songs Fund, a London-based music investment company. The financial details of the deal, however, have not been disclosed.
Sager, a four-time Grammy Award winner, is known for her collaborations with artists such as Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston. Some of her most famous compositions include "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (performed by Christopher Cross), "On My Own" (performed by Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson), and "MacArthur Park" (performed by Richard Harris).
The sale of Sager's music catalogue is yet another example of the growing trend in music investments. In the music industry, there are several types of music rights that can be bought, sold, and licensed. These include songwriting royalties, publishing royalties, recording royalties, and mechanical royalties.
Music rights societies, such as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, play a crucial role in managing and collecting these royalties on behalf of songwriters, publishers, and artists. According to the U.S. Copyright Office, music rights are defined as the exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, and create derivatives of a musical composition or sound recording.
The sale of music catalogue rights has become increasingly popular among investors, as music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music continue to grow in popularity. These services have led to a steady increase in royalty payments for music rights holders.
In 2020, Hipgnosis raised over $1 billion in a public offering to invest in music catalogue rights. The company has already acquired the catalogues of artists such as Neil Young, Tim Balme, and most recently, the estate of Tom Petty.
For more information on music rights and music investments, you can visit the websites of the major music rights societies (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) or the Hipgnosis Songs Fund website.
ASCAP Website BMI Website SESAC Website Hipgnosis Songs Fund Website