Bob Dylan Has Sold His Entire Songwriting Catalog for An Estimated $300M+, per Reports

Music fans awoke Monday morning to news that Bob Dylan has reportedly sold his entire music catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group for a price that is officially undisclosed as of yet but projected to be worth more than $300 million, per the New York Times.

Dylan, one of the finest songwriters to ever hold that title, is one of the most legendary music and cultural figures of all time, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 as a result of his songcraft and influence.

Per Rolling Stone, up until this deal Dylan had maintained control over his songwriting copyrights for decades. The new deal includes more than 600 songs from over the years, including his stellar 2020 album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, which was released in June 2020.

Bob Dylan has sold his entire songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing in a deal reportedly worth more than $300 million https://t.co/tDr2JysbP9

— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) December 7, 2020

Said Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge in a statement about this new deal with Dylan: “It’s no secret that the art of songwriting is the fundamental key to all great music, nor is it a secret that Bob is one of the very greatest practitioners of that art.”

Added CEO Jody Gerson:

“To represent the body of work of one of the greatest songwriters of all time — whose cultural importance can’t be overstated — is both a privilege and a responsibility.”

The Rolling Stone report adds that the deal does not include any future songs Bob Dylan may write and record.