Every track he made: Sting sells music catalog to Universal

Sting is promoting his music catalog, together with hits he made with the Police and as a solo artist, becoming a member of a refrain of stars who’re cashing in with traders who see worth in licensing their songs.

Universal mentioned Thursday that its music-publishing arm purchased the catalog, together with “Every Breath You Take,” “Roxanne“ and “Fields of Gold.” Financial phrases weren’t disclosed.

In latest months, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young and others who offered thousands and thousands of albums to Baby Boomers have offered their recordings, songwriting catalogs or each. Buyers usually get the everlasting proper to make use of the artist’s songs or recordings in commercials, motion pictures, tv reveals and different codecs.

Prices are hardly ever disclosed, however music trade specialists put Springsteen’s sale to Sony Music Entertainment in December at $550 million and Dylan’s deal the identical month with Universal Music Publishing Group at between $300 million and $500 million.

Sting, whose actual identify is Gordon Sumner, helped kind the Police in London within the 1970s as its lead singer, songwriter and bass guitar participant. The band mixed new wave rock, reggae and jazz, and was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

Between his work with the group and as a solo artist, Sting has won 17 Grammy awards and quite a few different honors. Universal mentioned he has offered greater than 100 million albums. In 2019, music-licensing company BMI mentioned “Every Breath You Take” had surpassed “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” to become the most-played song in its catalog.

Sting nonetheless performs dwell concert events and has acted in additional than a dozen motion pictures.

In assertion issued by Universal Music Group, Sting mentioned he needs his work used to attach with longtime followers in new methods and “to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations.”