In a major deal worth over $100 million, [Nashville-based publisher] Spirit Music Group [1] acquired a significant portion of country music star Jason Aldean's music catalog, including master recordings and publishing rights. The acquisition, announced in late 2020 [2], marks one of the largest music rights deals in recent history.
Founded in 2016, Spirit Music Group has been actively acquiring music rights, focusing on acquiring catalogs from various genres. The company's portfolio now includes over 120,000 copyrights and 30,000 master recordings [3].
The acquisition of Aldean's catalog adds to Spirit Music Group's growing collection of country music rights. The deal includes the artist's entire catalog from his debut album, "Hicktown," released in 2001, up to his latest album, "9."
The sale of music catalogs and rights has become an increasingly popular investment area in the music industry. As music rights societies like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC continue to distribute royalties to songwriters and publishers, these assets have become attractive to investors seeking steady income streams [4].
[1] https://www.billboard.com/pro/spirit-music-group-1234583338.story [2] https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spirit-music-group-buys-jason-aldean-masters-in-100m-deal1/ [3] https://www.billboard.com/pro/spirit-music-group-acquires-jason-aldean-catalog-for-100m-1234616631.story [4] https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-publishing-investment-trends-2021-report/
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