Universal Music buys rights to more than 600 Bob Dylan songs
Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has snapped up Bob Dylan’s entire catalogue of songs.
The agreement includes more than 600 copyrights, covering decades of the folk legend’s prodigious career, from 1962 to today.
The catalogue includes hits such as Blowin’ In The Wind, The Times They Are a-Changin’, and Like A Rolling Stone.
It’ll also have his most recent album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, which debuted in the top 10 in 13 countries.
The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Bob Dylan has sold more than 125m records and was the first songwriter to have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”
UMPG boss, Jody Gerson, called Dylan “one of the greatest songwriters of all time”.
Gerson said Dylan’s “cultural importance can’t be overstated”.
She said of the deal: “We look forward to working with Bob and the team in ensuring his artistry continues to reach and inspire generations of fans, recording artists and songwriters around the world.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and chief executive of the music media giant described the folk artist’s tracks as “timeless”.