Buying and selling publishing catalogs is a pretty common activity in the music business. But as any publisher who’s done so before will tell you, the traditional process can be time-consuming, costly, and ineffective for both sides of the deal.
As a result, the value of available publishing catalogs can suffer. Negotiations between multiple parties and potential offers can take months. Precious time is wasted haggling over small line items.
Attorney fees and broker commissions can quickly eat into profits. And simply getting the word out to attract a meaningful buyer pool from day one takes extraordinary effort.
There’s a better way.
We’ve worked with several publishing companies—both buyers and sellers—who turned to us to simplify and streamline the experience for them.
When the owners of the Arnakata Music publishing company decided to exit the business, we facilitated the auction of their catalog. Included were the publishing for such acts as The Eurythmics, the Bee Gees, Judas Priest and more.
Just days after listing it on our platform, the catalog received 19 bids, and ultimately sold for a 10x multiple over its past 12 months earnings.
That’s because our process simplifies and accelerates the process.
- Publishers set the target price their catalog, and we list it on our site.
- We promote the catalog to our database of over 17,000 potential buyers—both private investors and publishing companies alike.
- Our auction platform manages competing bids automatically with clear rules and terms.
- Once closed, we handle the complete settlement process, from legal paperwork to funds transfer.
The entire process takes about a month on average. What’s more, our focus on transparency and open markets typically delivers better returns than the traditional backroom deal.
That’s because our auctions are available to more than just other publishers, although several publishers have come to us as a source of acquiring new catalogs as well.
Over the last several years, both private and institutional financial investors have moved aggressively into the royalty acquisition game once dominated by music companies.
Sheryl Crow and Rogers & Hammerstein both sold their publishing to financial institutions rather than traditional publishing companies. Private equity firms like Blackstone Group and Pegasus Capital have likewise acquired publishing and music rights administration companies.
These investors are attracted to music publishing because of the steady income stream that royalties can generate. And they’re looking to buy more.
That’s where you come in. As a publisher, attracting the attention of the larger publishing houses or investment firms is challenging, particularly for less high-profile catalogs.
Listing your publishing catalog on Royalty Exchange guarantees maximum exposure to a diverse group of interested and capable buyers from both within and outside the music business.
You can be the next.
If you’ve ever considered divesting portions of your catalog to fund new expansion or projects, but don’t have the time or inclination to manage the process, contact us today to see just how easy we can make it.
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