From Sony’s $1bn Epic Games deal to Deezer’s IPO talks: It’s MBW’s Weekly Round-Up

Welcome to Worldwide music businessweekly recap – where we’re sure you’ve caught the top five stories that will make our headlines over the past seven days. MBW’s round-up is powered by Centtriphelping over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximize their income and reduce their touring expenses.

This week, Fortnite maker Epic Game raised 2 billion dollars from Sony Group Joint Stock Company (Music by Sonyof the parent company) and KIRKBI, the parent company behind the LEGO Group.

Epic game said this latest deal gives it a 31.5 billion dollars post-investment equity valuation.

Sony’s contribution to the funding round is 1 million dollarwhich means its investment bought it an additional amount of shares worth about 3.2% by Epic.

Of Sony’s three investments in Epic over the past three years ($250 million in 2020; $200 million in 2021; $1 billion in 2022), the company has spent a total of $1.45 billion. la.

Therefore, today Sony owns about 5.4% in interactive entertainment company.

Also this week, new data is released in a report from RIAA shows that Latin music generated $886.1 million on a retail basis in the US in 2021.

That $886.1 million figure is up more than a third (+35.4%) of Latin music sales in the US in the previous year.

MBW forecasts that the revenue generated by the record market for Latin artists in the US will amount to one billion dollars during the 12 months of 2022.

Elsewhere, music streaming services Deezer reportedly close to reaching a deal to go public through a merger with Paris-based SPAC called I2PO – the organization has a capital of about 325 million dollars According to its will.

The The Wall Street Journal reports that Deezer and the I2PO are close to agreeing a deal to take Deezer public.

Plus, Universal Music Publishing Group has made an exclusive global deal to represent Elvis Presley’s song catalog, while MBW guides our readers through a mechanical copyright battle. currently taking place in the US.

Here’s what happened this week:

1) Sony is spending $1 billion to buy an additional 3% stake in Epic Games to help ‘build the metaverse’

Sony’s relationship with Epic Games is getting closer and closer.

Last year Sony Group Joint Stock Company – the parent company of Sony Music Group – spent $200 million to buy a 0.7% stake in the game maker Fortnite (now owned by BandCamp).

That investment follows a larger share buyback in 2020, when Sony spends $250 million to buy back a stake in Epic, worth about 1.5% of its business.

Now for some bigger news: Today (April 11), Epic Games confirmed that Sony has agreed to spend $1 billion to buy more shares in its company….

2) SECTORS IN THE USA HAS SIGNED THAT THE MECHANICAL TAX RATE PAYING TO PUBLISHERS AND SONG FOR SALE VINYL WILL INCREASE. THE BRAND KEY LAWERS ARRIVED IMMEDIATELY.

It’s a process rife with legal stuff – to the point of being tedious.

But there’s a very important debate going on in the US about some sort of mechanical royalty rate paid to musicians right now, and you need to know about it.

That’s partly because it’s pretty compelling stuff, and partly because it promotes some of the tricky areas of the balance of power that dominate the modern music industry.

Fear not: You won’t have to wade through all the paperwork; MBW did it for you. (So ​​much. Paperwork.)

But believe us, there are some surprising points in this story….

3) Latin music will definitely generate more than 1 billion US dollars by 2022

We’ll call this soon: MBW today predicts that the U.S. Latin music market for Latin artists will generate more than a billion dollars in revenue in the 12 months of 2022.

We feel confident in this forecast as new data released today (April 12) in a report from the RIAA shows that Latin music generated $886.1 million on a retail basis. in the US in 2021.

That $886.1 million figure is up more than a third (+35.4%) of Latin music sales in the US in the previous year.

4) SEVEN YEARS AFTER ITS IPO, DEEZER IS TALKING TO PUBLIC AGAIN – FOR A SPACE

According to Wall Street Journal sources, Deezer is currently close to reaching an agreement to list shares through a merger with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC).

Who is that SPAC? They will no doubt be familiar to MBW readers.

Last summer we told you about a new Paris-based SPAC – I2PO – that has a capital of around $325 million and is backed by the parent company of the billionaire Pinault family..

5) Universal represents Elvis Presley’s publishing portfolio, through a global agreement with Authentic Brands Group

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed an exclusive global agreement with Authentic Brands Group, owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, to represent Elvis Presley’s historic song portfolio.

The deal builds on Universal Music’s existing relationship with ABG.

In November 2021, Universal Music Groupand ABG have launched a strategic initiative to acquire and actively manage artist brands…

MBW’s Weekly Round-Up is powered by Centtrip, helping more than 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximize their earnings and reduce their touring costs.Worldwide music business