One music publishing group hopes other publishers feel the sting with the acquisition the company made on Thursday.
Music publisher Universal Music Publishing Group announced it had purchased the entirety of Sting’s music catalog, which will include all of the artist’s solo works and his songs with The Police. Songs such as “Roxanne,” “Shape of My Heart,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” “Fields of Gold,” and others are included in the sale.
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“It is absolutely essential to me that my career’s body of work have a home where it is valued and respected,” Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, said in Universal’s announcement. “Not only to connect with longtime fans in new ways but also to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations.”
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Jody Gerson, chairman and CEO of UMPG, said she never imagined she would “get to lead a company that will be the guardian of Sting’s remarkable songwriting legacy.”
“Every one of us at UMPG looks forward to this work with a sense of honor, responsibility and enormous excitement about what we can achieve for his music in the future,” Gerson said in Universal’s announcement.
The company did not specify how much money it spent in acquiring Sting’s music, but the deal, estimated by the New York Times to be worth roughly $300 million, covers both the copyrights for his songs and his royalties as a songwriter, allowing Universal to receive all future music publishing income from Sting’s work.
A 17-time Grammy Award winner, Sting has sold more than 100 million albums throughout his career and co-founded The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
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Universal’s acquisition comes two months after Bruce Springsteen sold his music catalog to Sony for $500 million. The sale included both Springsteen’s recorded music and his work as a songwriter.
Representatives for Universal did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
