Sony Music Publishing has reached an agreement to acquire the complete music rights portfolio of Recognition Music Group from funds managed by Blackstone.
The deal is subject to the usual closing conditions. Terms were not disclosed but reports suggested Recognition could be valued at up to $4 billion.
Hipgnosis Songs Fund rebranded to Recognition Music Group last year – a move first revealed by Music Week.
The Sony Music Publishing deal is in partnership with the investment venture announced earlier this year between GIC and Sony Music Group, which is focused on acquiring and growing high-quality music catalogue assets across genres and international markets.
The deal will see Sony Music Publishing acquiring Recognition’s entire catalogue of works, encompassing over 45,000 songs performed by top artists.
The songs will be familiar from the Hipgnosis years when catalogue deals were announced on a regular basis. They including Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Under the Bridge, Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way, Beyoncé’s Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), Bruno Mars’ Locked Out of Heaven, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, Chic’s Good Times, Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun, Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer, Rihanna’s Umbrella, Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), Shakira’s Whenever, Wherever, Steve Winwood’s Higher Love and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, among many others.
Rob Stringer, chairman, Sony Music Group, said: “We are so proud and excited to represent this incredible catalogue of many of the greatest songs in pop history through this momentous acquisition.”
Jon Platt, chairman & CEO, Sony Music Publishing, said: “Our investment in this extraordinary catalogue reflects our belief in the enduring power of great music – a belief that resonates deeply throughout Sony Music Group and is shared by our partners at GIC. These timeless songs continue to define culture and inspire generations, and it is a privilege to champion their legacy as guardians of their next chapter.”
Qasim Abbas, senior managing director and head of tactical opportunities International at Blackstone, said: “This transaction delivers a strong outcome for Blackstone and our investors and represents a further vote of confidence in music rights as an institutionally established asset class. Sony is an exceptional home for these iconic catalogues, and we look forward to continuing to invest across the music sector through Recognition.”
Ben Katovsky, Recognition Music Group CEO, said: “It has been an honour to steward this phenomenal catalogue. The team and I are incredibly proud of what we have built at Recognition – protecting and enhancing the legacy and value of these songs while in our care. This is a milestone moment for Recognition and testament to the enduring value of music.”
The transaction follows Sony Music Publishing’s previous acquisition of Hipgnosis Songs Group in 2025, a separate Hipgnosis catalogue that had been previously acquired by Blackstone.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.musicweek.com ’
