The Weeknd just locked down a deal with Lyric Capital Group that brings in outside cash but keeps him and his crew as shareholders with creative control over everything. Representatives confirmed the partnership covers his catalog from career start through this year, bringing in both publishing rights and master recordings, but future drops stay separate for potential individual deals later.
The structure reportedly involves around a billion dollars split between senior debt, junior debt, and equity. Unlike typical catalog sales, where investors grab full ownership, this one works as a joint venture where Abel Tesfaye keeps the freedom to execute his vision across all his rights. Lyric reps noted from their first sitdown that selling the catalog was never on the table, and the artist wanted something more innovative for the partnership approach.
The Canadian singer pulls over 120 million monthly Spotify listeners and ranked third globally for most-streamed artists this year. His track Blinding Lights became the platform's most-streamed song ever, and if the billion-dollar figure holds up, this would rank among the biggest individual artist catalog transactions in history.
The structure reportedly involves around a billion dollars split between senior debt, junior debt, and equity. Unlike typical catalog sales, where investors grab full ownership, this one works as a joint venture where Abel Tesfaye keeps the freedom to execute his vision across all his rights. Lyric reps noted from their first sitdown that selling the catalog was never on the table, and the artist wanted something more innovative for the partnership approach.
The Canadian singer pulls over 120 million monthly Spotify listeners and ranked third globally for most-streamed artists this year. His track Blinding Lights became the platform's most-streamed song ever, and if the billion-dollar figure holds up, this would rank among the biggest individual artist catalog transactions in history.
