In a deal that kept industry insiders buzzing, legendary soul group The O'Jays official website sold the rights to 532 of their studio recordings to Round Hill Music company website, according to a report by Billboard article.
The exact financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but it's believed to be a significant investment for Round Hill Music, which has been actively acquiring music catalogs in recent years. The deal includes recordings spanning The O'Jays' illustrious career, from their early hits like "Love Train" and "Back Stabbers" to more recent releases.
The sale of music rights has become an increasingly popular avenue for artists and record labels to generate revenue, particularly in the era of streaming. Forbes article explains that music rights can be divided into several types, including publishing, master recording, and synchronization. Music rights societies like ASCAP website and BMI website help manage and collect royalties for these rights.
Who owns the right to music and how it works can be a complex issue. Generally, the artist or label that creates a recording owns the master recording, while the publisher owns the copyright to the composition. The O'Jays, as the artists, would have previously owned the master recordings, but they've now sold those rights to Round Hill Music. The publishing rights, however, would still be controlled by the O'Jays or their publishing company, if they have one.
The O'Jays' sale to Round Hill Music is just one example of the growing trend of music rights investments. As the music industry continues to evolve, it's likely that we'll see more deals like this in the future.
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