Justin Timberlake is the latest artist to sell his song catalogue, selling the rights to a London-based music investment company backed by private equity firm Blackstone. The terms of the deal with Hipgnosis Song Management were not disclosed, but reports reveal the deal as valued just above $100 million, not covering future releases.
The 41-year-old Timberlake will turn over full ownership and control to some 200 songs he wrote or co-wrote spanning his career as a frontman for NSYNC, as a solo artist, and for movie soundtracks. His catalogue of hits include “Bye Bye Bye” and “Girlfriend” from his NSYNC days; “Cry Me a River,” “SexyBack” and “Mirrors” from his solo career, and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” from the 2016 animated film “Trolls.”
Timberlake’s deal continues a recent trend of established artists selling their songbooks to big-pocketed investors or music labels. In recent months, Sting sold his song catalog to Universal Music Group for $250 million, and David Bowie’s estate sold his music catalog for $250 million to Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, and Bruce Springsteen sold his iconic song and publishing catalog to Sony Music for a whopping $500 million. Last year, Bob Dylan sold his massive 600-song catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group for a reported $300 million to $400 million in December 2020.
Justin Timberlake Sells Entire Song Catalog for More Than $100 Million
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