What Happens When An Artist Sells Their Music Catalog?

On Tuesday, September 20th, Future made headlines as media reported Baby Pluto sold the music publishing of more than 600 songs in a multimillion-dollar deal. The Atlanta ambassador sold 16 years of work from 2004 to 2020 for a rumored eight-figure deal to Influence Media Partners. Billboard reported Future walked away with around $70 million.

Influence Media Partners is a New York-based investment firm that has acquired the publishing catalogs of more than 20 artists including Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, and Justin Bieber. Future serves as their latest acquisition, but definitely not their last. To date, IMP has spent over $300 million to acquire back catalogs of “commercially proven songs that resonate throughout pop culture”. Earlier this year, Influence Media Partners pledged to spend $750 million to continue acquiring back catalogs. IMP has backing from BlackRock, Inc. and Warner Music Group.

Future’s deal includes work as far back as 2004, but he first rose to prominence around 2010 when his mixtapes were circulating Zone 6, broader Atlanta, and eventually the majority of the South. He was early in this new generation of genre-bending rappers. He executed the vision Lil Wayne had for his “codeine and skinny jeans” singing era if you ask me. Future’s classics such as Dirty Sprite 2, What A Time To Be Alive - his joint…