Sony Music Publishing has acquired Hipgnosis Songs Group, a number of sources confirmed to Billboard. Emails obtained by Billboard underneath the topic line “Replace from Sony Music Publishing” mentioned that the corporate “has entered into an settlement with Recognition Music Group (‘RMG’) to accumulate its subsidiary Hipgnosis Songs Group (‘HSG’), efficient instantly.”
Hipgnosis Songs Group is likely one of the firms thought of to be underneath the umbrella of Recognition Music, previously referred to as Hipgnosis — which additionally included Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Hipgnosis Track Administration — and is the subsidiary that has housed Huge Deal Music and its administration enterprise since the company acquired Big Deal in 2020.
The HSG catalog contains the 4,400 copyrights initially from Huge Deal, together with songs recorded by Shawn Mendes, Panic! At the Disco and One Direction. In keeping with HSG’s Instagram page, their repertoire additionally contains publishing shares of songs like “Style,” “Espresso” and “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter; “Abnormal” by Alex Warren; “Lose Management” by Teddy Swims; and plenty of extra present hits.
“With this settlement, Sony Music Publishing now owns and administers the Hipgnosis Songs Group catalog, serving because the full-service writer for its purchasers and roster of songwriters globally,” the e-mail to HSG songwriters, composers and purchasers reads.
The information of this deal arrives simply three months after Hipgnosis rebranded underneath the brand new title Recognition Music Group, bringing the bundle of associated Hipgnosis titles underneath one title and one roof. As a part of that earlier information, it was famous that Hipgnosis Songs Group was nonetheless underneath the possession of Blackstone and that the corporate mentioned the division was underneath strategic overview. Billboard reported that Recognition was seeking to associate with publishers and music firms for the administration of their belongings.
Through the years, Hipgnosis has largely pushed the motion to deal with music as a horny asset class for Wall Road buyers, bidding sky-high costs for catalogs by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham, Blondie, Justin Bieber and Journey, amongst others. However Hipgnosis Songs Fund, which was publicly traded on the London Inventory Change since 2018, has had a rocky previous couple of years. By 2023, HSF finally left its buyers annoyed as its inventory value fell and its dividend was cancelled. Finally, in July 2024, HSF was sold to private equity giant Blackstone for $1.6 billion.
A rep for Recognition Music declined to remark. Reps for Sony Music Publishing didn’t instantly reply to Billboard’s requests for remark at press time.
The e-mail notes that “over the following few months, we will likely be transitioning the corporate to SMP’s companies and techniques. We’re working carefully with HSG to make sure that all purchasers will obtain the excessive stage of service that you’ve got come to anticipate.”
By buying hits owned or administered by HSG, Sony Music Publishing — which frequently ranks as the most important writer by market share on the Scorching 100 and Pop Radio Airplay charts on Billboard’s Publishers Quarterly — has turn into an much more dominant participant in fashionable music.
Learn an excerpt of the e-mail under:
Pricey Hipgnosis Songs Group Songwriters, Composers and Purchasers:
On behalf of Sony Music Publishing (“SMP”), we’re happy to tell you that Sony Music Publishing has entered into an settlement with Recognition Music Group (“RMG”) to accumulate its subsidiary Hipgnosis Songs Group (“HSG”), efficient instantly.
With this settlement, Sony Music Publishing now owns and administers the Hipgnosis Songs Group catalog, serving because the full-service writer for its purchasers and roster of songwriters globally.
With a singular roster of up to date songwriters and timeless classics, HSG aligns with SMP’s mission to raise and assist the work of the world’s most impactful songwriters, and we’re honored to characterize you and your songs.
Over the following few months, we will likely be transitioning the corporate to SMP’s companies and techniques. We’re working carefully with HSG to make sure that all purchasers will obtain the excessive stage of service that you’ve got come to anticipate. No additional motion is required from you at the moment.
Within the meantime, your present HSG group stays obtainable to deal with questions or artistic inquiries. You too can attain HSG at HSGcreativeteam@hipgnosissongs.com. In the intervening time, your royalty funds will proceed to be processed and distributed via HSG’s system and your present account entry stays unchanged. We are going to attain out to you straight with necessary transition updates as they arrive.
Thanks. We sit up for working with you on this subsequent chapter.
Sincerely,
The Sony Music Publishing Staff