After having sold the editorial rights of his catalog to Universal Music at the end of 2020 for 400 million dollars,
Bob Dylan also sold his shares in the Traveling Wilburys repertoire: to win the share of rights entitled to Robert Zimmerman within the works delivered to the annals by the supergroup that, between 1998 and 1991,
the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature shared with Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne of the Electric Light Orchestra was Larry Mestel's Primary Wave, which - by means of a note - has made it known that it intends to "promote the legacy of these iconic musicians and these legendary albums by leveraging our corporate resources which include research of marketing opportunities, a digital promotion strategy and licensing operations and synchronizations ".
On a purely emotional level, selling one’s songs can seem uncomfortably close to selling one’s soul: After all, what is a song if not an expression of its writer’s spirit? But in practical terms, these deals make sense for both sides. (Americansongwriter)
For most of us, it’s property, vehicles, stocks and dust-covered boxes of stuff — a.k.a. “junk” or “crap,” in the parlance of spouses across the globe — cluttering up attics, basements, garages, closets and storage spaces. Presumably, Bob Dylan accumulated that stuff too — along with an extremely valuable song catalog, which generates publishing and writer royalties; master recordings, which make money when sold, streamed, synced or otherwise “performed”; and a vast archive of lyrics, notes, notebooks, letters, manuscripts and other “crap.”
In that context, it is not surprising that in the five years leading up to Dylan’s 80th birthday in 2021, he sold his song catalog, his master recordings and his personal archive for a combined sum said to be upwards of $650 million, presumably leaving only his post-2016 archives and paintings, along with everyday possessions like real estate and cars, as his heirs’ responsibility. The man’s bags are packed.
In recent years, artists like Dylan, Springsteen and Young have been monetizing their archives while still deep in their careers, releasing elaborate boxed sets, autobiographies, photo books and, in Springsteen’s case, even a monthslong, nine-digit-grossing autobiographical Broadway show.
David Bowie, who died in 2016, spent no small amount of time preparing an exhaustive and tastefully curated series of archival releases that is set to go on for many, many years; his estate sold his publishing earlier this year to Warner Chappell Music for a price sources say is upwards of $250 million. Also, rather than selling his personal archive, as Dylan did, Bowie basically put his vast vault of clothing, photos, artwork and other personal items on tour: The traveling exhibit “David Bowie is” visited 12 museums over five years and sold more than 2 million tickets. (To read the full article click here)
Dylan has a long history with Sony Music Entertainment, which owns Columbia Records, the label he signed to in October 1961 and has been with ever since. He sold his Master Recording to Sony Music, the deal is separate from 2020 with Universal Music
“Columbia Records and Rob Stringer have been nothing but good to me for many, many years and a whole lot of records,” Dylan said in a statement. “I’m glad that all my recordings can stay where they belong.” (Sourcces: Faroutmagazine and Stereogum)Bob Dylan has sold the rights to his entire recorded music catalogue to Sony Music Entertainment, the company announced. The deal includes the masters to every single album the singer-songwriter has put out in his six decades of performing, plus “the rights to multiple future releases”.
Dylan first signed with Columbia Records in 1961 and released his self-titled debut album, Bob Dylan, the following year. Apart from a brief spell in the mid-1970s where Dylan singed to David Gaffer’s Asylum Records, Dylan has released every single one of his albums on the label. Columbia gained reissue control over the two Asylum albums, Planet Waves and Before the Flood, in 1981. Now, he’s bringing it all back home to Columbia.
Stringer, the Chairman of Sony Music Group, added: “Columbia Records has had a special relationship with Bob Dylan from the beginning of his career and we are tremendously proud and excited to be continuing to grow and evolve our ongoing 60-year partnership.”
Earlier today, Dylan announced spring 2022 tour dates.
03/06 – Albuquerque, New Mexico @ Kiva Auditorium
03/08 – Lubbock, Texas @ Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts & Sciences
03/10 – Irving, Texas @ Toyota Music Factory
03/11 – Sugar Land, Texas @ Smart Financial Centre
03/13 – San Antonio, Texas @ Majestic Theatre
03/14 – San Antonio, Texas @ Majestic Theatre
03/16 – Austin, Texas @ Bass Hall
03/18 – Shreveport, Louisiana @ Municipal Auditorium
03/19 – New Orleans, Louisiana @ Saenger Theatre
03/21 – Montgomery, Alabama @ Montgomery PAC
03/23 – Nashville, Tennessee @ Ryman Auditorium
03/24 – Atlanta, Georgia @ Fox Theatre
03/26 – Savannah, Georgia @ Johnny Mercer Theatre
03/27 – North Charleston, South Carolina @ North Charleston PAC
03/29 – Columbia, South Carolina @ Township Auditorium
03/30 – Charlotte, North Carolina @ Ovens Auditorium
04/01 – Greensboro, North Carolina @ Steven Tanger Center
04/02 – Asheville, North Carolina @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
04/04 – Chattanooga, Tennessee@ Tivoli Theatre
04/05 – Birmingham, Alabama @ BJCC Concert Hall
04/07 – Mobile, Alabama @ Saenger Theatre
04/09 – Memphis, Tennessee @ Orpheum Theatre
04/11 – Little Rock, Arkansas @ Robinson Center
04/13 – Tulsa, Oklahoma @ Brady Theatre
04/14 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma @ Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre
