Justin Bieber has sold the rights to his entire back catalogue of hits to Hipgnosis Song Management. Bieber attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala in New York on September 13, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Invision-Evan Agostini
TORONTO – Justin Bieber has sold the rights to his entire back catalogue, including megahits “Despacito,” “Sorry” and “Baby,” to Hipgnosis Song Management.
The song investment company says it’s struck an agreement with the Stratford, Ont.-raised pop singer for his share of all publishing copyrights and royalties from his master recordings.
The deal covers Bieber’s entire back catalogue of more than 290 titles released before the end of 2021.
Terms were not disclosed by Hipgnosis and the company declined to put a value on the deal.
Hipgnosis Songs Fund, operated by Middleton, N.S., native Merck Mercuriadis, has spent the past few years striking major deals with some of the world’s most prominent artists.
Several of the company’s biggest acquisitions have been with Canadians.
In 2021, Hipgnosis bought a 50 per cent stake in 1,180 of Neil Young’s songs as well as the royalty rights owned by Winnipeg-born producer Bob Rock on some of Michael Buble’s Christmas hits and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2023.