Sony Music Publishing (SMP) has accomplished its acquisition of the whole music rights portfolio of Recognition Music Group.
The deal, first introduced in Might, has closed following regulatory approvals in a number of territories, MBW can reveal.
“We are able to affirm that the acquisition of the whole music rights portfolio of Recognition Music Group by Sony Music Publishing has accomplished following regulatory approvals,” stated a press release collectively issued to MBW by SMP and Recognition.
The acquisition was made by SMP in partnership with the music rights funding enterprise that Sony Music Group launched in January with Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.
The deal ends in Sony Music Publishing buying catalog of greater than 45,000 songs.
Monetary phrases weren’t disclosed, although Bloomberg reported forward of the settlement that the deal was valued at between $3.5 billion and $4 billion.
The catalog options shares in hits together with Journey‘s Don’t Cease Believin’, Fleetwood Mac‘s Go Your Personal Manner, Beyoncé‘s Single Girls (Put a Ring on It), Girl Gaga‘s Dangerous Romance, and Mariah Carey‘s All I Need for Christmas Is You.
Jon Platt, Chairman & CEO of Sony Music Publishing, stated when the deal was introduced in Might: “Our funding on this extraordinary catalog displays our perception within the enduring energy of nice music – a perception that resonates deeply all through Sony Music Group and is shared by our companions at GIC.”
“These timeless songs proceed to outline tradition and encourage generations, and it’s a privilege to champion their legacy as guardians of their subsequent chapter.”
Ben Katovsky, CEO of Recognition Music Group, stated on the time: “It has been an honor to steward this phenomenal catalogue. The staff and I are extremely pleased with what we’ve constructed at Recognition – defending and enhancing the legacy and worth of those songs whereas in our care.”
The catalog, amassed by Merck Mercuriadis, was bought by funds managed by Blackstone, which assembled the Recognition portfolio over a number of years.
Qasim Abbas, Senior Managing Director and Head of Tactical Alternatives Worldwide at Blackstone, stated the transaction “delivers a powerful consequence for Blackstone and our traders and represents an additional vote of confidence in music rights as an institutionally established asset class.”
Abbas described Sony as “an distinctive residence for these iconic catalogues,” including that Blackstone appeared ahead “to persevering with to take a position throughout the music sector by Recognition.”
That remark indicated Recognition will proceed to function as a Blackstone-backed entity following the sale of its catalog to Sony.
The finished deal marks Sony‘s third – and by far its largest – acquisition of belongings from the previous Hipgnosis portfolio.
Sony Music Group purchased a tranche of Recognition belongings from Blackstone in February, in a deal reported to be value over $200 million.
That transaction adopted SMP‘s acquisition of Hipgnosis Songs Group, previously referred to as Large Deal Music, in June 2025.
Recognition Music Group was fashioned in March 2025, when Blackstone consolidated its Hipgnosis belongings beneath a brand new model led by Katovsky.
Blackstone acquired Hipgnosis Songs Fund from its UK public traders for $1.58 billion in July 2024, in a deal that valued the portfolio at an estimated $2.2 billion.
The acquisition is the most recent in a run of large-scale music trade M&A in 2026.
Bertelsmann‘s BMG and Harmony confirmed their merger in April, whereas Major Wave Music agreed in March to accumulate Kobalt from Francisco Companions.
Sony Music Publishing already administered the Recognition catalog earlier than finishing the acquisition.Music Enterprise Worldwide
