Sony Music Publishing has acquired Recognition Music Group’s publishing and administration company Hipgnosis Songs Group, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The acquisition comes five years after Recognition Music Group — which used to be known as Hipgnosis Songs Fund until the company rebranded three months ago — purchased music publisher Big Deal Music in 2020, rebranding that company as Hipgnosis Songs Group shortly after. Hipgnosis Songs has stakes in hits like Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and “Bed Chem” among others. The publishing company is the only asset Sony acquired from Recognition.

Recognition Music was originally founded by music executive Merck Mercuriadis, with Mercuriadis leaving last year after private equity company Blackstone purchased the company. Recognition had been a major driver in the music acquisition boom of the past six years, with the company buying up catalogs from superstars like Justin Bieber, Neil Young, Mark Ronson, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Shakira among others. Those were not part of the Sony acquisition, and Recognition still owns those catalogs.

The news was first reported by Billboard.

In an email addressed to Hipgnosis’s songwriters, composers and clients and obtained by THR, Sony said it was acquiring Hipgnosis Songs Group “effective immediately,” and that “over the next few months, we will be transitioning the company to SMP’s services and systems.”

“With a unique roster of contemporary songwriters and timeless classics, HSG aligns with SMP’s mission to elevate and support the work of the world’s most impactful songwriters, and we are honored to represent you and your songs,” Sony wrote. As the transition begins, writers’ royalty payments will continue to be administered through Hipgnosis for now, Sony said.

“We look forward to working with you in this next chapter,” Sony said.

Read the full email below:

Dear Hipgnosis Songs Group Songwriters, Composers and Clients:

On behalf of Sony Music Publishing (“SMP”), we are pleased to inform you that Sony Music Publishing has entered into an agreement with Recognition Music Group (“RMG”) to acquire its subsidiary Hipgnosis Songs Group (“HSG”), effective immediately. With this agreement, Sony Music Publishing now owns and administers the Hipgnosis Songs Group catalog, serving as the full-service publisher for its clients and roster of songwriters globally.  

With a unique roster of contemporary songwriters and timeless classics, HSG aligns with SMP’s mission to elevate and support the work of the world’s most impactful songwriters, and we are honored to represent you and your songs.

Over the next few months, we will be transitioning the company to SMP’s services and systems. We are working closely with HSG to ensure that all clients will receive the high level of service that you have come to expect. No further action is required from you at this time.

In the meantime, your current HSG team remains available to address questions or creative inquiries. You can also reach HSG at [email protected]. For the time being, your royalty payments will continue to be processed and distributed through HSG’s system and your current account access remains unchanged. We will reach out to you directly with important transition updates as they come.

For more information, you may contact our team by emailing [email protected] or by calling our royalty hotline at 615-726-8326. Additional songwriter resources can also be found at https://www.sonymusicpub.com/en.

Thank you. We look forward to working with you in this next chapter.

Sincerely,
The Sony Music Publishing Team