Queen Sells Recording and Publishing Rights for $1.27 Billion

Queen has reportedly agreed to marketplace their recording, publishing and other legal rights to Sony Music for a file-smashing $1.27 billion.

According to Hits, the deal also requires name and likeness rights, most probably opening the doorway to musicals, industrial and film placements, merchandising and other funds-developing possibilities. The band’s 2018 autobiographical film Bohemian Rhapsody gained about $900 million globally.

Disney and Common Audio Group will forever maintain the legal rights to distribute Queen’s information in North America, but the band’s share of the royalties will now go to Sony Tunes. For the relaxation of the earth, these men and women legal rights are predicted to transfer from most recent proprietors UMG to Sony Tunes in each 2026 or 2027.

According to Assortment, earnings from dwell performances is not integrated in the deal. Founding prospects Brian May maybe and Roger Taylor go on to execute are living with singer Adam Lambert. Bassist John Deacon retired quickly just soon after the 1991 loss of life of founding singer Freddie Mercury.

The $1.27 billion marks the premier tunes legal rights sale on report, surpassing Bruce Springsteen’s former $500 million deal in 2021, also to Sony Songs, as really nicely as a deal reached earlier this year in which Sony agreed to spend $600 million for half of Michael Jackson’s publishing and recorded masters catalog.

Rumors of a potential deal for Queen started circulating in 2023 and ongoing for more than a year. Universal Tunes was also noted to be fascinated in acquiring the catalog.

Other Rockstar Catalog Profits

Queen is the most current rock act to supply the legal rights to their catalog, signing up for a listing of artists that include things like issues like Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Blondie, Chrissie Hynde, Journey, Nikki Sixx, Steve Winwood and a variety of other people.

Go by way of A lot a lot more: The Best Song From Each and each and every Queen Album

“I are not able to do the job, and streaming stole my report money,” the late David Crosby, who sold his catalog in 2021, described on social media. “I have a household and a property finance loan and I have to acquire care of them, so it is my only solution. I am guaranteed the some others sense the similar.”