Britney Spears, Whitney Houston & More
Bid on this collection that earns from multiple royalty streams and features hits from pop superstars Britney Spears and Whitney Houston, along with Backstreet Boys and ‘90s R&B group Hi-Five.
Historic royalty income is no indication of future royalty income. Future royalty income is dependent upon future sales and licensing revenue generated by the sound recordings or compositions associated with this listing.
| Starting Price: | $150,000 |
| Bidding Increment: | $3,000 |
| Closing Price: | $249,000 |
| End Date: | Jun 28, 2018, 3:13 PM MDT |
| Last 12 Months' Royalties: | $34,516 |
| Investment Term: | Life of author + 70 years |
| Distributors: | ASCAP, Universal Music Publishing Group |
| Rights Included: | Songwriter and Publisher |
| Interests Included: | Public Performance, Mechanical, Sync |
| Territory: | World |
| Track List: | |
| First Distribution: | July 9, 2018 |
| Distribution Frequency: | ASCAP: Quarterly, UMPG: Bi-Annually |
| Relist-Eligible? | No |
| Buyer Fees: | $500‡ |
‡ Become a Royalty Exchange All Access Investor to waive auction fees and enjoy additional exclusive benefits.
What rights are included?
| Musical Composition | Sound Recording | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copyrights included? | No | — | ||||||
| Rights: |
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| Sources: | Internet Streaming, AM/FM & Satellite Radio, Digital Downloads, CD Sales, TV/Film/Commercial Placements & Performances, etc. | Internet Streaming, Satellite Radio, Digital Downloads, CD Sales, TV/Film/Commercial Placements & Performances, Samples, etc. | ||||||
| Distributors: | ASCAP, Universal Music Publishing Group | — |
Description
This is an exciting opportunity to invest in a piece of 1990’s pop and R&B history! Up for bid is an asset that features pop and R&B hits with royalties from multiple income sources: public performance, mechanical, and sync. Not only are these songs still earning over 20 years after being released, their earnings are on the rise — up 13% over the previous year!
Included in the catalog are six songs off one of the best-selling albums by a teenage artist: Britney Spears’…Baby One More Time. Released in 1999, the album hit No. 1 on Billboard 200, has sold 25 million copies worldwide to date, and ultimately defined an era in pop music. “From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart” is the highest-earning Spears title in this collection, accounting for 12% of historic income. The certified-Platinum track peaked at No. 14 on Billboard 100.
The asset also features “My Name Is Not Susan,” a pop/R&B hit from legendary Whitney Houston, off the album, I’m Your Baby Tonight. Released in 1991, the song brings in 31% of this collection’s historic earnings. “My Name Is Not Susan” also charted at No. 20 on Billboard 100.
Other R&B titles include “I Can’t Wait Another Minute” and “Never Should’ve Let You Go,” from R&B boy band Hi-Five. Released in 1991, “I Can’t Wait Another Minute” topped Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart at No. 1 and No. 8 on the Hot 100. “Never Should’ve Let You Go” enjoyed chart success at No. 10 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and was also used in the film Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit.
Not to be overlooked is “Every Time I Close My Eyes” from the Backstreet Boys’ international debut album and “Mishale” from Andru Donalds. “Mishale” reached No. 38 on Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 and remains a favorite on German radio today.
Key Drivers
Income Mix. The winner of this auction can receive income from three different royalty streams:
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Mechanical: Royalties paid to songwriters and artists when music is sold (think CD or vinyl) but also when music is streamed (streaming mechanicals) “on-demand” (like Spotify).
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Performance: Royalties paid to songwriters when music is performed publicly. Music played over the radio, in a restaurant or bar, or over a service like Spotify or Pandora is considered a public performance.
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Synchronization: Royalties paid to songwriters and publishers for the licensing of a song in music for a movie, TV show, or commercial.
As the winning bidder, you will collect the songwriter share of public performance royalties as well as the publisher's share of sync, mechanical, and public performance royalties. On the songwriter’s side, earnings are on the rise compared to the previous year, with streaming sources leading the growth with a 66% increase.
Looking at the publishing income, the largest income source for this catalog historically is mechanical royalties — publishing royalties earned when music is either physically sold (CDs), downloaded (iTunes), or streamed online (Spotify). These mechanical royalties make up 71% of the publishing earnings in the last year. You’ll also collect up-front sync fees for any of the songs’ use in TV/Film or commercials.
Longevity. Some of the songs were released nearly 30 years ago and they are still earning. This demonstrates the longevity and impact songs and artists have on today’s listeners.
There’s also massive star appeal attached to this catalog. Britney Spears was named “one of the most bankable musical stars on the planet” according to a 2017 Forbes article, Spears has both historical and current relevancy as an artist. Whitney Houston is an eight-time Grammy-winner and is one of the best-selling artists of all-time, with 200 million records sold worldwide. Her presence still continues after her 2008 passing, with many projects highlighting her life—most recently the British documentary Whitney, to be released in July 2018.
Matching Right
This seller's publisher holds a matching right on any sale of public performance income in this catalog. The publisher will have the opportunity to match the winning bid after this auction closes. If you are the winning bidder, the publisher must first decline their matching right before you will be able to complete your purchase. This process is generally completed within 5–10 business days.
About the Royalty Distributor
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is one of four United States performing rights organizations, along with BMI, SESAC & Global Music Rights. It collects license fees from music users on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed. For more information on ASCAP’s distribution schedule, click here.
Universal Music Publishing Group is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. Universal Music Publishing is the world's second-largest music publishing company and owns or administers more than 3 million copyrights. They are one of the largest music publishing businesses in the world with more than 43 offices in 36 countries. For more information on Universal Music Group’s distribution schedule, click here and review the schedule related to copyrights.