Singer-songwriter The Weeknd has achieved a remarkable milestone with his recent music catalogue deal. This significant business venture marks one of the most notable catalogue transactions ever made by a contemporary artist.
Representatives for the 35-year-old artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, confirm that he has sold his music catalogue, which encompasses work from the beginning of his career through 2025. Lyric Capital Group has taken an investment stake in this catalogue. Importantly, Tesfaye and his team will maintain control over the creative direction and hold ownership positions in the newly formed company.
Sources close to the negotiations indicate that the agreement was structured to avoid the conventional framework of catalogue sales. Instead, Tesfaye favored a model that ensures his authority over both his master recordings and publishing rights. Notably, this arrangement includes only the body of work released up to 2025, leaving all future material outside the deal’s scope.
According to reports, Tesfaye’s existing relationships with XO, Republic Records, and Universal Music Group remain intact, with Universal Music Publishing Group continuing to manage his publishing rights.
Valuations for this deal reportedly exceed $1 billion, positioning it among the largest single-artist catalogue transactions ever recorded. The only publicly confirmed deal surpassing it is Sony Music’s acquisition of Queen’s catalogue, valued at approximately $1.27 billion.
The Weeknd’s commercial power is unmistakable, boasting over 120 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His global touring presence recently pushed his “After Hours ‘Til Dawn” tour past the $1 billion revenue mark.
Ross Cameron, the founder and co-managing partner of Lyric, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I couldn’t be more excited about what Lyric, Abel and team have created together. From our first meeting, it was clear to me that we were sitting around the table with individuals that were going to change the way an artist thinks about his assets, music and legacy.”
He added, “The collaboration resulted in a first-of-its-kind partnership between an artist and Lyric, and we are beyond thrilled about this new venture.”