Michael Jackson’s music catalog is owned through a combination of his estate and ongoing publisher/label arrangements. In 2024, Sony Music Group finalized a deal to acquire a 50% stake in Michael Jackson’s publishing and recorded- music catalog from his estate, valuing the assets at over $1.2 billion. The arrangement means Sony now shares ownership of half of the publishing rights and half of the master recordings, with the Jackson estate (via its representatives) retaining the remaining interests. Key points to understand:
- The estate’s executors (John Branca and John McClain) brokered the deal, which does not transfer the entirety of MJ’s catalog, but rather a significant 50% stake in both publishing and masters.
- The transaction is one of the largest catalog deals in music history and represents ongoing collaboration between Sony and the Michael Jackson estate, with assets likely continuing to generate royalty streams for both parties.
- Prior to this, Sony had long-standing ties to MJ’s catalog through Sony/ATV Music Publishing, including ownership of a substantial portion of the Beatles catalog via ATV (a stake MJ acquired decades earlier and later integrated into Sony/ATV).
- In addition to the 2024 deal with Sony, there have been prior transactions where the estate sold or monetized stakes in MJ’s catalog, and the remaining interests in Mijac Music (the company that holds MJ’s rights) continued to generate revenue for beneficiaries under the terms of the estate.
If you’d like, I can pull up recent reputable articles summarizing the deal details, the exact stake split, and the implications for royalties and future catalog acquisitions.
