The deal spans nearly sixty years of the legendary folk and country singer’s music, from his 1962 self-titled debut album to 2020’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways.” The deal also covers “rights to future new releases” from songs, according to a press release from Sony which does not specify the amount of the contract.
Bob Dylan, 80 and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, had already sold his copyrights – separate from the recording rights – to Universal, a competitor of Sony, at the end of 2020 for an amount estimated at the time at 300 million of dollars.
Recording rights govern reproduction and distribution rights. This time, sites specializing in the music industry, such as Billboard and Variety, mention an amount greater than 200 million dollars.
According to Sony, the agreement, sealed in July 2021 but announced only on Monday, reinforces a long-standing relationship with Bob Dylan, who had signed in 1961 at Columbia Records, a subsidiary of the music giant.
Recording rights holders can decide on future reissues, while copyright holders earn dividends on a track’s airplay or streaming, album sales, or usage. in and movies.
The repertoires of music giants have been the subject of several major transactions in recent months, a trend driven in particular by streaming and the Covid.
By mid-December, “Boss” Bruce Springsteen had sold the copyright and recording rights to all of his repertoire to Sony for over $550 million.