Did you think the catalogue-acquisitions bandwagon had forgot about Dre? Now he has some deals and plenty of Gs to fund his snowmobiles habit, thanks to Universal Music Group and Shamrock Holdings.
Dre has sold what Variety described as “a collection of music income streams and other assets” to the two companies in separate transactions with a total value of somewhere between $200m and $250m.
Dre’s share of artist royalties from NWA and his solo work; his producer royalties; and the writer’s share of his song catalogue are reportedly what’s been sold, with UMG’s portion of the sale thought to include the master recording of 1992 album ‘The Chronic’, which Dre is due to regain from former label Death Row this year.
It’s the latest example of a veteran musician cashing in on their catalogues, and a sign that despite ongoing speculation of a cooling in such acquisitions, big deals are still getting done.
Music Ally’s next Learn Live webinar will help you understand what’s required for artists to thrive in new international markets!