Hipgnosis Songs Capital has sealed the deal – it’s officially acquired 100% of Justin Bieber’s publishing (including the writer’s share of performance), as well as his artist royalties from his master recordings and neighboring rights, Hipgnosis has confirmed. The deal was priced north of $200 million, according to a source close to the case, making this the largest rights sale for any artist of this generation. It’s also Hipgnosis’ largest acquisition to date, covering all 290 titles in Bieber’s titles in Bieber’s catalog released before December 31, 2021, including his most recent album, Justice.
According to a Billboard report back in December, a Bieber deal valued at over $200 million was in the works amid founder/chief executive Merck Mercuriadis’ efforts to “close about $500 million in deals” between mid-November and mid-December. Though Mercuriadis didn’t mention what the deals were, the Bieber acquisition seems to be part of that disclosure.
Bieber’s success has been undeniable since he came onto the scene in 2009 with his debut album, My World, and the 2010 follow-up, My World 2.0. So far, Bieber has charted eight No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, including his most recent studio release, Justice. On the Billboard Hot 100, the singer has earned 26 top 10s, including eight No. 1s. His songs have generated 16.6 billion on-demand official streams, just in the United States.
Although Bieber’s share of artist royalties for his works will now be transferred to Hipgnosis, his songs will continue to be administered by Universal Music Group (UMG). His master recordings will continue to be owned by UMG in perpetuity.
The acquisition has been made on behalf of Hipgnosis Songs Capital, a partnership between Hipgnosis Song Management and funds managed by Blackstone. Justin Bieber was represented by Scooter Braun at Hype America, David Bolmo at NKSFB, Aaron Rosenberg and Audrey Benoualid at Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenber Mobasser Younger & Light LLP and Michael Rhodes at Cooley.
Hipgnosis Songs Capital was represented by William Leibowitz at William R. Leibowitz Law Group, Seth Traxler and Rory Wellever at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Robert Fowler & Lisa Ong at HW Fisher.
“The impact of Justin Bieber on global culture over the last 14 years has truly been remarkable,” said Mercuriadis in a statement. “At only 28 years of age, he is one of a handful of defining artists of the streaming era that has revitalized the entire music industry, taking a loyal and worldwide audience with him on a journey from teen phenomenon to culturally important artist. This acquisition ranks among the biggest deals ever made for an artist under the age of 70, such is the power of this incredible catalog that has almost 82 million monthly listeners and over 30 billion streams on Spotify alone. Scooter Braun has helped him build a magnificent catalogue, and it’s a pleasure to welcome Justin and his incredible songs and recordings to the Hipgnosis family.”
“I want to thank Merck and his entire Hipgnosis team and all of our partners involved for working so hard to make this historic deal happen,” said Scooter Braun, CEO of Hybe America and Bieber’s manager of 15 years. “When Justin made the decision to make a catalog deal we quickly found the best partner to preserve and grow this amazing legacy was Merck and Hipgnosis. For over a decade now Justin Bieber has entertained us and moved us with some of the biggest songs in the world. I’m so proud of him and all those involved over the years in helping amass this incredible body of work. Justin is truly a once in a generation artist and that is reflected and acknowledged by the magnitude of this deal. For 15 years I have been grateful to witness this journey and today I am happy for all those involved. Justin’s greatness is just the beginning.”
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