Santa Monica’s Universal Music Publishing Group today announced an agreement with Prince’s estate to become the exclusive worldwide publishing administrator for the late singer’s entire song catalog, effective immediately.
In addition to servicing and administering Prince’s expansive catalog of songs, UMPG will also work with his estate to develop new creative outlets for his music. UMPG previously served as Prince’s publisher from 2001 to 2014.
"We’re humbled to be entrusted with Prince’s catalog and I’m grateful to my entire team for their work in making this agreement a reality," said Jody Gerson, UMPG’s chairman and CEO.
"With the timelessness and genius of Prince’s music, there are no limits to what we can achieve working with his estate," Gerson said. "Prince’s popularity will only continue to grow around the world."
Entertainment industry experts Charles Koppelman and L. Londell McMillan were hired by the court-appointed temporary special administrator of the Prince Rogers Nelson Estate to secure business agreements in the wake of his April 21 death.
In a joint statement, they said they were "pleased that UMPG shall once again administer Prince’s music publishing worldwide and assist the estate by giving Prince’s iconic music catalog the proper care and support it deserves."
"With this major agreement, the estate maintains ownership of Prince’s music, and now legions of fans from around the world will have even greater opportunities to continue to delight in his incomparable songwriting and musical expression."
Prince won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for "Purple Rain." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility.
During a career spanning four decades, Prince sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. In addition to his own recordings, he was a prolific songwriter for other artists, including Sinead O’Connor ("Nothing Compares 2 U"), the Bangles ("Manic Monday"), Cyndi Lauper ("When You Were Mine"), Chaka Khan ("I Feel For You") and Alicia Keys ("How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore").
