Wow!


Bob Dylan Sells Entire Catalog of Songs to Universal Music Publishing

The song-catalog bonanza of 2020 just hit a peak that is not likely to be topped: Universal Music Publishing Group has acquired Bob Dylan’s entire catalog of songs in a blockbuster agreement encompassing more than 600 copyrights spanning 60 years, ranging from 1962’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” to this year’s “Murder Most Foul.” His catalog was previously administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

Terms were not disclosed, but a source tells Variety that the deal was easily in nine figures. Since 80% of Stevie Nicks’ publishing catalog was acquired by Primary Wave last week for a reported $100 million, the Dylan catalog probably drew a number well above that.

The influence and impact of Dylan’s songs cannot be overstated: In 2016, he was the first songwriter to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, cited by the Swedish Academy “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” His songs have been recorded more than 6,000 times over the past six decades, by a vast array of artists all across the world, particularly songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” “Like A Rolling Stone,” “Lay Lady Lay,” “Forever Young,” “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” “Tangled Up In Blue,” “Gotta Serve Somebody,” the Academy Award-winning “Things Have Changed” and so many more. Since the release of his first album in 1961, Dylan, 79, has sold more than 125 million records around the world, and, although sidelined by the pandemic, he has toured relentlessly since 1988, performing more than a hundred shows each year since.


[variety.com]

I just checked on Google what Dylan's networth is. I understand that going on Google to find the truth is tricky but $200 millions for Dylan does not seem a lot especially now with the UMG publishing deal.
Rockandroll,
Mops

$300 million estimated by the NY Times...

Bob cashed in huh ? Maybe so the kid(s) don't have to fight ? Way to go Bob

His songs are like Van Gogh paintings, they will basically be invaluable

Paul mc Cartney is supposedly worth a $billion.That is big difference with Bob.
I don't understand why because on many levels they seem similar.
Rockandroll,
Mops

That's just the estimate. Dylan has a really deep bench of music that's been covered extensively and used in content for as long as I can remember. He owned his publishing so he knew exactly how much revenue it was generating from one year to the next.

I've only met him once and don't know any of his family so I have know idea if any of them were involved in the operations of his empire. Cashing out may have been an easy choice for him if he was thinking about retiring and not having anyone he trusted to take over.

Universal knows there's a Goldmine to be made already having the masters and then also having the publishing. The New York Times estimate of $300 million is more than likely a lowball number. That website celebrity networth pretty much just pulls numbers out of thin air unless there's a divorce or other legal action to expose the base value of assets.

Three hundred fifty to $600 million is what I'd guess he agreed to with the popularity of his music starting to fade away slightly but the importance of his music being still front and center. Universal knows they easily have 20 - 40 years of income with a tremendous amount waiting to be made in the next couple of years.

CBII

On top of what he already has in the bank, his estate must be enormous.

Anybody else thought about Tryin' To Get To Heaven sounds in some parts like Joey from Desire?
Listened to the album today while doing the dishes, never thought about it before!

Have another listen while spin drying
ya underpants and ya might hear Hurricane ....HHHaaaaaaaa



ROCKMAN

Not sure how much revenue his catalog will be creating as his audience shuffles off but these things are generally priced as assets that can be sold to the next buyer in a few years so who knows.
It doesn't feel right to be selling old music when there are so many young musicians out there.
Again, I don't understand modern economics but nobody cares what I think. LOL.

.... I heard he needs the $$$bucks
to pay for a new roof on his Malibu home ....



ROCKMAN

I wonder if this means Bob is now retired. The neverending tour has already come to an end because of covid

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NilsHolgersson
I wonder if this means Bob is now retired. The neverending tour has already come to an end because of covid

When did Dylan make a statement about touring.

Nate

Just a thought....maybe Bob knows something we don't know? And if so what is it? I hope everyone is well.....Peace.M

What's wrong with Sony Music?

Interestings news indeed. Bobby, if anyone, has traditionally been very careful about having a control over his song rights, so the times they are a-changin' indeed. Moves like these are happening nowadays - the old guard selling their catalog - so not totally surprising.

This reminds of the rumor from the late 00's according to which the Stones were thinking of selling their publishing rights to Universal (the rights for their own songs - Jagger/Richards material, that is). That was before the 50th Anniversary and when the future of the Stones was more than in jeopardy. (The rumor was brought here by Rocky Dijon - oh man, I miss him and his contribution).

I wonder how much Universal is nowadays whispering sweet things to the direction of ABKCO in regard to the 60's Stones catalog. With a figure like that given to Dylan, Klein's people might consider the idea of retirement seriously (besides, the record company ABKCO already is under the umbrella of UMG already). Surely, The Stones catalog makes them money, and keep the company in business, but... Stones manager Joyce told a couple of years ago that things were still in process in that front (re ABKCO catalog). Add there that Universal takes care of pretty all of Stones business nowadays (including storage, merchandise, etc.) I wouldn't be surprised that some substantial move might happen in that direction pretty soon. The publishing rights both for ABKCO and Promotone (mostly Jagger/Richards) catalog might pretty well soon belong to Universal. Finally all in one place (what that mean in practise - be it good or bad - well, time will tell).

- Doxa



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2020-12-08 10:55 by Doxa.

Quote
Rockman
Have another listen while spin drying
ya underpants and ya might hear Hurricane ....HHHaaaaaaaa

Great advice Terry!! I'll try that after the habanita's next visit, it usually gets sticky...

David Crosby was tweeting last night that he is selling his, too.

I am selling mine also ...I can’t work ...and streaming stole my record money ...I have a family and a mortgage and I have to take care of them so it’s my only option ..I’m sure the others feel the same
[twitter.com]

Streaming does not pay us for records an COVID has shut down all work live ....is that clear enough for you ?
[twitter.com]

If we could get paid for records and play
Live we would not be doing it
None of us
[twitter.com]

Quote
mikey C
Just a thought....maybe Bob knows something we don't know? And if so what is it? I hope everyone is well.....Peace.M

It could be just a cold business calculation... Probably after wittnessed that the songs aren't making as much money as before (the effect of streaming business), and there is not change in that trend to be expected, it was handy just to take a big check in advance and stop worring. Let Universal collect the streaming cents and hope for the best.

From the point of Universal the things might look differently and since they are doing this systematically (buying old catalogues) they seemingly have serious plans to make use of it. I don't know what is, but my hint is that it has something to with the dramatically changed nature of record business and especially with the special deal between streaming platforms and record companies. That's been a good deal for the record companies, but as noted for years, the artists have been the losers there. To me it looks like that the big record companies are trying to settle the issue by money. By buying the publishing rights for songs and thereby controlling the business all the way, they also shut up a significiant voice that has a potential say (if not anything else, a veto right). So if a deal like with Dylan might cost them money - a bad deal on its own - it serves a bigger aim that makes them money.

But I could be totally wrong. It could be - as there been popped up some new publishing companies to buy old catalogues - that people just smell money in the streaming business now. They offer a blinding figures for the (especially aged) artists now, but in a few years/decades time those numbers are laughed at (remember the times when Michael Jackson bought rights for Beatles catalogue).

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020-12-08 12:02 by Doxa.

But funny to think about it - never thought that we would discuss money and business in a Dylan thread...

- Doxa

One possible consequence of Dylan not any longer having control over his songs might be the following one. Dylan's been famous for been strict with translating his songs to foreign languages. For example, if I would like to translate one of his songs to Finnish and publish it, I would first need to do the translation, then translate my Finnish translation back to English, and then send it to Dylan's people to check it out. If they (him?) think it's a good enough they would give me a permission to publish it.... (I recall talking about this with one Finnish rock musician and song-writer - actually one of the most legendary ones here, namely a guy named Juice Leskinen - and he joked about that Dylan will now on sing "Changing of The Guards" according to his English lyrics...)

I wonder if the protocol with Universal be that strict any longer...

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-12-08 12:45 by Doxa.

Dylan and money was always an issue, already back in the sixties when he was blamed for investing in Boeing or other war industries ....

Resotele

Quote
resotele
Dylan and money was always an issue, already back in the sixties when he was blamed for investing in Boeing or other war industries ....

Resotele

Dylan always seem to have had a good business mind (even though, to disagree with you, that is not he is mostly known for, since having an image of artist-like no one else in the business). I wonder what a certain LSE drop out named Michael Philip Jagger - that well-known bohemian - might think about the way Dylan especially straight from the beginning started to control the publishing rights of his own songs, and kept them always under his command... He didn't need any hard lessons from any allankleins of the world...

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-12-08 13:13 by Doxa.

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Doxa

Quote
resotele
Dylan and money was always an issue, already back in the sixties when he was blamed for investing in Boeing or other war industries ....

Resotele

Dylan always seem to have had a good business mind (even though, to disagree with you, that is not he is mostly known for, since having an image of artist-like no one else in the business).

- Doxa

i don't understand where you have to disagree with me; I higly respect and even admire Dylan's artistry. I love him as a poet, a singer and a musician.

Resotele

Quote
resotele

Quote
Doxa

Quote
resotele
Dylan and money was always an issue, already back in the sixties when he was blamed for investing in Boeing or other war industries ....

Resotele

Dylan always seem to have had a good business mind (even though, to disagree with you, that is not he is mostly known for, since having an image of artist-like no one else in the business).

- Doxa

i don't understand where you have to disagree with me; I higly respect and even admire Dylan's artistry. I love him as a poet, a singer and a musician.

Resotele

Sorry, I misunderstood you. I get the impression that the money thing is generally associated with Dylan. Which contradicts with the picture I have of him. Saint Bobby seems to be above of such mortal things as money.... (not true, of course, but his image is pretty 'pure', unlike, say, Jagger's...).

- Doxa

Doesn't he live on a ranch up in rural Minnesota?

THE AUSTRALIAN --- 9 December 2020



ROCKMAN

Sony acquired Crunchyroll for 1,168 million dollars today.
They chose Animation Company over Dylan.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-12-10 04:53 by Toru A.

The 1970 copyright protection set is getting a proper release in late January – see: [www.bobdylanisis.com]