Legendary artist and songwriter Sting has offered his complete tune catalog to Common Music Publishing Group (UMPG).
Introduced right this moment (February 10), UMPG says that it has struck an “historic, complete worldwide settlement for the catalog of probably the most commercially profitable and critically-acclaimed songwriters of the final half-century”.
The catalog options the whole lot of each Sting’s solo works, in addition to these with The Police, together with mega hits like Roxanne, Each Breath You Take, Form Of My Coronary heart,If I Ever Lose My Religion In You, Fields Of Gold, Desert Rose, Message in a Bottle,Englishman in New York and Each Little Factor She Does Is Magic.
The worth of the deal wasn’t disclosed by UMPG, however one knowledgeable trade supply tells MBW the ultimate acquisition price reached north of $300 million.
Common Music Group has been Sting’s label dwelling for his complete profession, via A&M, Interscope and Cherrytree Information, which signifies that Sting’s take care of UMPG sees him unite his tune catalog together with his recorded music catalog beneath UMG.
Collectively, UMPG and UMG say that they are going to work with Sting “to additional construct and broaden his huge viewers attain, strengthen the affect and affect of his timeless works, and proceed supporting future music releases”.
UMPG’s deal for Sting’s tune catalog marks the newest big-money catalog acquisition by one of many three main music firms, a pattern that began again in December 2020, when Common acquired the publishing rights to Bob Dylan’s songwriting catalog in one of many largest acquisitions in UMG’s historical past.
SMP additionally turned the house of Bruce Springsteen’s tune catalog 9 months after that, in December 2021, when Sony Music Group acquired two units of rights – each recordings and music publishing – masking the whole lot of Springsteen’s catalog, in a deal value round $550 million.
This pattern continued final month (January 2022), with Warner Music Groupsnapping up David Bowie’s tune catalog for over $250 million, and Sony Music Leisure buying Bob Dylan’s catalog of recorded music in a deal sources counsel was value north of $150 million.
The three majors additionally produce other competitors after all, within the type of varied acquisitive gamers with deep conflict chests working throughout the music rights acquisitions market, together with the likes of Major Wave, Hipgnosis, KKR, and not too long ago Iconoclast. MBW estimates that no less than $5 billion was spent on music rights acquisitions in 2021.
British-born composer, singer-songwriter, actor, writer, and activist Sting has offered greater than 100 million albums all through his profession.
As co-founder, frontman and bassist of The Police, alongside Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, Sting turned one of many world’s best-selling artists.
The Police launched 5 studio albums between 1978 – 1983, incomes six Grammy Awards and two Brit Awards. The band had been inducted into The Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame in 2003.
Sting, managed by Martin Kierszenbaum/Cherrytree Music Firm, is described by UMPG as “one of many world’s most distinctive, prolific and acclaimed solo artists”, having launched 15 studio albums between 1985’s debut The Dream of Blue Turtles and his most up-to-date, The Bridge, launched in November 2021.
Sting’s albums embrace UK No.1s …Nothing Just like the Solar, The Soul Cages, Ten Summoner’s Tales,Mercury Falling,Sacred Love,Model New Day, and extra.
Sting has obtained an extra 11 Grammy Awards for his solo works, three additional Brit Awards together with the celebrated Excellent Contribution to Music Award in 2003, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Corridor of Fame in 2002 and offered with a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame in 2000.
“It’s completely important to me that my profession’s physique of labor have a house the place it’s valued and revered – not solely to attach with longtime followers in new methods but in addition to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations.”
Sting
Sting mentioned: “I’m delighted to have Jody and the workforce at UMPG curate and handle my tune catalog.
“It’s completely important to me that my profession’s physique of labor have a house the place it’s valued and revered – not solely to attach with longtime followers in new methods but in addition to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations.
“All through my profession, I’ve loved an extended and profitable relationship with UMG as my label accomplice, beneath the watchful steerage of Lucian, so it felt pure to unite all the pieces in a single trusted dwelling, as I return to the studio, prepared for the subsequent chapter.”
“Each one in every of us at UMPG seems ahead to this work with a way of honor, duty and massive pleasure about what we are able to obtain for his music sooner or later.”
Jody Gerson, Common Music Publishing Group
Jody Gerson, Chairman & CEO, Common Music Publishing Group added: “So many reminiscences from my youth are tied to the good songs written by Sting — whether or not it was first seeing the Police carry out in Philadelphia or listening to his music on the radio or taking part in these albums till I wore them out.
“I may by no means have imagined that sometime I might get to guide an organization that would be the guardian of Sting’s outstanding songwriting legacy.
“Each one in every of us at UMPG seems ahead to this work with a way of honor, duty and massive pleasure about what we are able to obtain for his music sooner or later.”
“Sting is a songwriting genius whose music permeates world tradition.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO, Common Music Group, mentioned: “I’ve had the privilege to work with Sting for over 20 years and I’m so thrilled to broaden our relationship to now embrace music publishing.
“Sting is a songwriting genius whose music permeates world tradition. We’re honored that by selecting UMPG for his music publishing, Sting’s complete physique of labor as a songwriter and recording artist — from the Police to his solo work — will all be throughout the UMG household.
“It’s a duty we don’t take calmly in addition to an incredible validation of what now we have constructed for artists at UMG.”
Past his personal success, Sting’s songs have been sampled to form world hits. In 2018, Sting’s Form Of My Coronary heart was utilized in Juice WRLD’s Lucid Goals, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Scorching 100 and has since obtained greater than 1.8 billion streams on Spotify.
In 1997, The Police’s Each Breath You Take was sampled by Diddy in I’ll Be Lacking You that includes Religion Evans and 112, and obtained the Grammy Award for Greatest Rap Efficiency by a Duo or Group.
The tune spent 11 weeks atop the US Billboard Scorching 100 and reached No.1 in 15 different international locations.
Sting’s works have additionally been sampled by artists together with Nas, The Roots, 2Pac, RZA, Kygo & Avicii, Black Eyed Peas, Craig David, French Montana, Talib Kweli, Fugees and Cam’ron.
Moreover, his songs have been coated by artists together with George Michael, Johnny Money, Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes, Eva Cassidy, Violet Femmes, Gloria Gaynor, Shirley Bassey and Fall Out Boy, amongst others.
In 2003, he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his myriad of contributions to music and appointed Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French authorities in 2007.
He has obtained the Kennedy Heart Honors, The American Music Award of Benefit and The Polar Music Prize. Sting has been awarded Honorary Doctorates of Music by the College of Northumbria (1992), Berklee Faculty of Music (1994), College of Newcastle upon Tyne (2006) and Brown College at its 250th Graduation ceremony (2018).
Sting has appeared in additional than 15 movies, government produced the critically acclaimed A Information to Recognizing Your Saints, and in 1989 starred in The Threepenny Opera on Broadway.
His most up-to-date theatre mission is the Tony-nominated musical The Final Ship, impressed by his reminiscences of the shipbuilding neighborhood of Wallsend within the northeast of England the place he was born and raised.
The present, with music and lyrics by Sting, ran on Broadway in 2014/2015 and accomplished a UK regional theatre tour which ran from March-July 2018. Thereafter, Sting starred as shipyard foreman Jackie White within the Toronto-based manufacturing of The Final Ship on the Princess of Wales Theatre.
In 2020, he reprised the position for productions in Los Angeles on the Ahmanson Theatre and San Francisco on the Golden Gate Theatre.
Sting will resume his “My Songs” world tour subsequent month adopted by his Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in June 2022.
He was represented within the transaction by Allen Grubman together with his companions Joe Brenner and Stuart Prager.
