Who Owns Justin Bieber’s Royalties?
In January 2023, Justin Bieber made headlines by selling the rights to his vast back catalog to Hipgnosis Songs Capital in a staggering deal reportedly worth just over $200 million . But what exactly did he sell, and who controls his royalties now?
🧠What Did He Sell?
The agreement encompassed 100% of Bieber’s stake in three major categories:
- 1. Publishing rights (the “composition” — lyrics & melody)
- 2. Master recording share (his artist’s portion of the recordings)
- 3. Neighboring rights (earnings from public and broadcast performances)
Importantly, Universal Music Group—his record label—continues to own the master recordings entirely. Bieber merely sold his artist’s share, not the whole masters .
📚 Who Now Collects the Royalties?
All future income from streams, radio plays, sync licenses, and more (covering songs released before December 31, 2021) is now directed to Hipgnosis Songs Capital, not to Bieber himself . That firm, co-founded by music mogul Merck Mercuriadis and backed by Blackstone, now collects and manages the rights .
🤔 Why Do This?
Sony artists like Bruce Springsteen ($500 million) and Bob Dylan ($400–620 million) have made similar moves . These deals offer huge immediate payouts and let artists cash out early, especially when touring or record deals face uncertainty . For Bieber, it allowed him to stabilize his finances amid health setbacks and canceled tours .
💡 What Bieber Still Retains
Future songs released after December 2021 remain fully under Bieber’s control.
He still collects regular touring, sponsorship, and brand income—not streaming royalties from pre‑2022 songs.
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