It was announced Monday morning that legendary singer songwriter Bob Dylan has sold his entire catalog of songs to Universal Music in a historic deal. Dylan’s song catalog spans nearly 60 years and includes over 600 songs such as ‘Blowin in the Wind’, ‘The Times They Are A-Changing’, and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’. His body of work, which won him a Nobel Prize, is one of the most sought after and valuable in music today. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but are being estimated at over $300 million. Dylan received $100 for his initial publishing deal prior to the release of his first album, but has long since controlled the majority of his songwriting copyrights.
Jody Gerson, the chief executive of Universal’s publishing division, stated “To represent the body of work of one of the greatest songwriters of all time — whose cultural importance can’t be overstated — is both a privilege and a responsibility.”
This news comes as just the latests of many artists who have been selling their music catalogs recently, including Stevie Nicks who sold a majority stake in her songwriting catalog for $80 million last week.