Music Catalog´s purchases – Why market´s high interest?

From the art of music to music as a financial asset: In the 1980s, Michael Jackson bought the Beatles’ catalog; in the 1990s, David Bowie issued so-called “Bowie bonds” backed by “his music”; and most recent, in 2022, Bob Dylan “cashed out” on his masters by selling them to Sony Music. Why are equity funds, music labels, asset managers and even pension funds interested in buying music catalogs? Why do authors and artists sell them, particularly in these “streaming-centric times”? Over the past two decades, the buying and selling of music catalogs has accounted for billions of dollars in transactions. Panelists will present the reasons for this particular interest, where the business is for these investors, the effect of streaming on authors and performers, and trends in this type of “music-financial” transactions.

Dress code: Business casual