Bob Dylan sells entire song catalog to Universal Media Group

[BUtterfield 8 38,807]

In what could be the biggest deal ever for a single songwriter, Universal Music Publishing Group announced today (Dec. 7) that it had purchased Bob Dylan’s entire catalog of songs, from 1962 to the present, from Dylan himself. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the acquisition includes both publishing rights and Dylan's "writer's share," which together would be worth at least $100 million and perhaps several times that, based on the value of other catalogs.

Dylan's publishing is currently administered in the U.S. by the Bob Dylan Music Company and elsewhere by Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

The market for publishing deals has continued to heat up, even amid the pandemic, fueled by the boom in streaming, as well as low interest rates that make acquisitions more appealing. The temporary shutdown of the concert business, as well as the possibility that president-elect Joe Biden will raise the capital gains tax, seem to be spurring sales, too.

Another factor, industry sources say, is that the generation of singer-songwriters who came of age in the sixties and seventies is at a point where they’re thinking about their legacies, as well as estate planning. On December 4, Primary Wave Music Publishing announced that it had acquired a majority stake in the catalog of singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, in a deal that The Wall Street Journal reported valued her compositions at $100 million. That deal and Dylan’s could trigger more big catalog transactions.

This is a unique prize, however. Among the songwriters of the rock era, only the Beatles are as influential as Dylan, the only songwriter to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The catalog includes more than 600 compositions, written over the course of six decades, including "Blowin' in the Wind," "The Times They Are A-Changin,'" "Like A Rolling Stone," "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," and "Tangled Up in Blue."

“To represent the body of work of one of the greatest songwriters of all time - whose cultural importance can’t be overstated - is both a privilege and a responsibility,” said UMPG chairman & CEO Jody Gerson in the UMG statement announcing the deal. In an internal company note about the deal, Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge wrote that it has "forever transformed the legacy of this company."

In the early sixties, Dylan, 79, become one of the first popular artists to consistently write his own material, in the process overturning the dominant music publishing model of the time, which involved professional songwriters composing tunes to pitch to singers. Although Dylan has released 39 albums, some of his songs are still better known as recordings by other artists -- from Jimi Hendrix’s iconic cover of “All Along the Watchtower” to Garth Brooks’ and Adele’s versions of "Make You Feel My Love."

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[gagaisitalian 3,573]

Not Taylor Swift's catalog being shopped around multiple times for a higher cost than Bob Dylan's...

[Blastertoyo 22,728]

17 minutes ago, gagaisitalian said:

Not Taylor Swift's catalog being shopped around multiple times for a higher cost than Bob Dylan's...

He’s not a current artist and doesn’t have replay value in current pop culture until he passes away sadly 

[androiduser 7,130]

1 hour ago, Blastertoyo said:

He’s not a current artist and doesn’t have replay value in current pop culture until he passes away sadly 

also, it's less likely that his music will be used in commercials, ads, huge stadium concerts etc

[littlepotter 73,202]

So does UMG think they'll be able to make more than 100 million on his catalogue in the long run? 

[Ivy 10,928]

Wow 39 albums! He has put out a lot of work 

[androiduser 7,130]

14 minutes ago, littlepotter said:

So does UMG think they'll be able to make more than 100 million on his catalogue in the long run? 

most likely, they will probably license as many songs as they can for the use in movies, TV, covers etc

[RAMROD 97,826]

I mean, get ready for his classic hits gets ruined, I guess.

[Guest Adarsh]

The fact this man has won AOTY at the Grammys, an Oscar, A Pulitzer and a ****ing Nobel Prize in Literature all for his songwriting. Truly a legend 

[LaLa 18,692]

3 hours ago, gagaisitalian said:

Not Taylor Swift's catalog being shopped around multiple times for a higher cost than Bob Dylan's...

Sounds like this just his publishing, not his master recordings! Pretty amazing 

[Ronk 14,106]

1 hour ago, androiduser said:

most likely, they will probably license as many songs as they can for the use in movies, TV, covers etc

Yes, there's a lot of money in that.

UMG made Vimeo remove one of my videos because I didn't have a license for the song.  When vacationing in Barbados I videoed a three-girl group performing covers of songs at an outdoor beach bar.  When my recording of one song was removed from Vimeo due to copyright infringement I contacted UMG.  They told me it's songs that are copyrighted, not performances of songs.  So any performance of a copyrighted song, even a cover at an outdoor beach bar, cannot be shared without my purchasing a license to use the song.  I learned a lot that day.

 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Only $100 million??? He got ripped off he if only took that 

[chromaticainmyhead 5,541]

44 minutes ago, Adarsh said:

The fact this man has won AOTY at the Grammys, an Oscar, A Pulitzer and a ****ing Nobel Prize in Literature all for his songwriting. Truly a legend 

imagine Gaga doing that. 

[Guest Adarsh]

Just now, venusinmyhead said:

imagine Gaga doing that. 

She probably will. But I have a feeling she’ll win a Nobel prize for peace.

[garbage 203]

2 hours ago, littlepotter said:

So does UMG think they'll be able to make more than 100 million on his catalogue in the long run? 

absolutely. his songs are amazing for atmospheric scenes and literally anything folk.