Red Hot Chili Peppers Reportedly Sell Recorded Catalog to Warner Music for $300 Million-Plus

Overview

• The Hollywood Reporter said Warner Music bought the band’s master recordings through its Bain Capital joint venture for more than $300 million, and neither side has confirmed the report.
• Warner Music disclosed $650 million in catalog buys since launching the $1.2 billion Bain venture, and this deal would account for close to half with the rest not identified.
• The group has long ties to Warner Records, releasing every album there since 1991, which makes the company a logical buyer for its recorded masters.
• The band sold its song publishing in 2021 to Hipgnosis, now called Recognition, in a $140 million deal that trade outlets say could shift again as Sony holds talks to buy Recognition.
• Major labels increasingly team up with investors to acquire music rights, with Universal holding a stake in Chord Music Partners and Sony creating a venture with Singapore’s GIC.