Blackstone and Hipgnosis Song Management launch $1 billion partnership to invest in songs, recorded music, music IP and royalties
Blackstone (NYSE: BX) and Hipgnosis Song Management Ltd (“HSM”) today announce a new partnership, backed by funds managed by Blackstone, which will initially deliver c.$1 billion to acquire music rights and manage catalogues.
Hipgnosis Song Management, founded by Merck Mercuriadis and formerly known as The Family (Music) Ltd, is one of the industry’s leading advisory firms focused on music assets and is investment advisor to Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd (LSE: SONG), the largest UK-listed investor in music catalogues and royalties with gross assets of c.$2.2 billion.
Merck Mercuriadis, CEO of Hipgnosis Song Management, said: “Hipgnosis Song Management has firmly established songs as an asset class. This new partnership with Blackstone will deliver financial strength to invest in proven songs as well as grow our song management team and bring additional sophistication to HSM, enabling us to create greater value to our stakeholders including our songwriters and shareholders in SONG. Given the strength of our pipeline, we see the initial commitment as just the start of a long-term partnership between Blackstone and Hipgnosis that will also include co-investment with SONG.”
Qasim Abbas, Senior Managing Director, Blackstone Tactical Opportunities, said: “This partnership underscores the long term, sustainable value we see in creative content across the wider entertainment industry, building on Merck’s vision and dynamism. The music industry has been at the forefront of the fast-growing streaming economy and is unlocking new ways of consuming content. We look forward to working with Merck and his team to continue their exciting journey and safeguard the legacy of the songwriters that entrust us with their content.”
As part of the partnership, Blackstone will take an ownership stake in HSM and will support the expansion of its infrastructure and business functions, including the development of new song management expertise, data science capabilities and technology solutions. This should allow HSM to further enhance the value of the rights it purchases, working in close collaboration with songwriters, artists and producers.
SONG is expected to benefit from Blackstone’s investment in HSM’s management capabilities and will have the right to co-invest in future catalogue acquisitions alongside the new Blackstone–HSM partnership.
Andrew Sutch, Chairman of SONG said: “Our Investment Adviser, Hipgnosis Song Management’s, new partnership with Blackstone highlights how successfully Merck has established songs and music rights as an asset class since founding and listing SONG three years ago. This new partnership will provide new co-investment opportunities for SONG, and we expect that continued investment in Hipgnosis Song Management will enhance returns for our investors.”
Blackstone was advised on the transaction by Goldman Sachs, FTI, Kirkland & Ellis and Deloitte. Hipgnosis Song Management was advised by RBC, Capstan Capital Partners and Stephenson Harwood.
About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $684 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets, and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter@Blackstone.
About Hipgnosis Song Management Ltd
Hipgnosis Song Management Ltd, formerly The Family (Music) Ltd is the Investment Advisor for Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd (SONG). Both were founded by Merck Mercuriadis, former manager of globally successful recording artists, such as Elton John, Guns N' Roses, Morrissey, Iron Maiden and Beyoncé, and hit songwriters such as Diane Warren, Justin Tranter and The-Dream. The Investment Adviser has assembled an Advisory Board of highly successful music industry experts which include award winning members of the artist, songwriter, publishing, legal, financial, recorded music and music management communities, all with in-depth knowledge of music publishing. Members of Hipgnosis Song Management Ltd Advisory Board include Nile Rodgers, The-Dream, Giorgio Tuinfort, Starrah, David A. Stewart, Poo Bear, Bill Leibowitz, Ian Montone and Rodney Jerkins.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005592/en/
Contact information
Media:
Blackstone
Giles Croot
+44 7881 749 614
giles.croot@blackstone.com
Felix Lettau
+44 7587 020 020
felix.lettau@blackstone.com
Teneo
Nick Claydon
+44 7974 982 547
nick.claydon@teneo.com
Tim Burt
+44 7583 413 254
tim.burt@teneo.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Almirall Presents Long‑Term Results from First Real‑World Dermatology Study Using WHO‑5 Well‑Being Index as Primary Endpoint in the treatment of Psoriasis at EADV 202518.9.2025 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
Almirall, S.A. (ALM) a global biopharmaceutical company focused on medical dermatology today announced new long-term results from the POSITIVE study, presented as a late-breaker at the 34th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 2025 (EADV) in Paris. POSITIVE is the first RWE study in dermatology to use the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) as a primary endpoint. The selection of the abstract as a late breaker at the EADV congress highlights the importance of the findings of the POSITIVE study and its unique approach to evaluating the long-term holistic impact of an advanced treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, a condition that profoundly impairs social, psychological, and physical quality of life, impacting overall well-being1. Two‑Year Real‑World Results from POSITIVE The 24-month, multinational, phase IV observational study enrolled 785 adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis across nine European countries
Shield and PwC UK Forge Strategic Collaboration to Deliver Future-Ready Communications Compliance18.9.2025 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
Shield, a leading AI platform for digital communication governance and archiving, today announced a collaboration with PwC UK, one of the world’s most trusted professional services firms. The alliance brings together Shield’s unified, cloud-native solution with PwC’s specialist expertise in communications surveillance delivery, regulatory compliance and complex programme execution. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250917394739/en/ Shield and PwC launch a strategic collaboration to modernize eComms surveillance with AI-driven compliance solutions for financial institutions. The collaboration is designed to support institutions as they modernise their approach to communications monitoring, helping them implement an advanced and proactive risk management approach at scale and with confidence. This joint offering provides an end-to-end solution designed to meet evolving regulatory expectations, accelerate adoption
Curatis: FDA Minutes Confirm Positive Outcome of Meeting on 9. September 2025 – Corticorelin on Track for Phase 318.9.2025 08:00:00 EEST | Press release
Curatis Holding AG (SIX:CURN) received the official minutes from the FDA meeting which took place on 9. September. Based on the totality of the feedback and discussions, Curatis can proceed as planned with the clinical development of corticorelin. Corticorelin is under development as a novel treatment intended to reduce or even eliminate steroid use and associated toxicities thereby potentially impacting the quality of life of patients suffering from peritumoral brain edema (PTBE) associated with metastatic (secondary) brain tumors. The virtual meeting with the FDA provided the opportunity to discuss the clinical development plan for corticorelin and encompassed CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control), nonclinical and clinical aspects. The offical FDA minutes which Curatis received after publication of the half year results reflect the positive outcome. Curatis may proceed without delay to a regulatory submission supporting a pivotal study in patients suffering from PTBE secondary t
Merck Opens Climate-Neutral €150 Million Filter Manufacturing Facility in Ireland18.9.2025 08:00:00 EEST | Press release
Merck, a leading science and technology company, has opened today its €150 million filter manufacturing facility in Blarney Business Park, Cork, Ireland. The site is Merck’s first manufacturing facility designed for full climate-neutral operations, marking a key milestone in the company’s ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250917767425/en/ Merck's new Blarney site in Cork expands company's filter capacity, creating 200+ jobs by 2028 The 3,000-square-meter cleanroom facility supports global demand for critical filtration products used in the manufacturing of vaccines and life-saving therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, and emerging modalities like cell and gene therapies. By localizing these capacities in Europe, Merck hopes to reduce cross-border dependencies for the company’s customers. “Ireland is a leading hub for biopharmaceutical manufacturing and innova
Galderma Launches Transformative Skincare Segment With Cetaphil’s New Skin Activator Hydrating & Firming Line, in Partnership With Actor and Filmmaker Mariska Hargitay18.9.2025 08:00:00 EEST | Press release
Galderma today announced Cetaphil, the dermatologist-recommended brand trusted by millions with sensitive skin, is redefining daily skincare with its new Skin Activator Hydrating & Firming line. The launch marks an entirely new skincare segment of advanced hydration and firming solutions designed specifically for improving the appearance of aging, thinning, and fragile skin. As people age, surface skin cells stop performing at the same level, or “go to sleep,” causing fine lines, dehydration, and looser skin, in turn leading to skin looking and feeling less firm and more fragile.1 Skin Activator technology serves as a “wake-up call” to sleeping surface skin cells. The unique complex is powered by encapsulated CICA to help restore the skin’s moisture barrier to visibly plump and firm skin as well as microdosed mandelic acid to increase surface skin cell turnover to visibly reduce dull, uneven skin. In clinical trials, the Skin Activator Hydrating & Firming Lotion showed to be effective
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom