Sony Music Publishing has officially acquired Hipgnosis Songs Group (HSG), according to emails sent to HSG songwriters and clients. The deal was made with Recognition Music Group, the parent company of HSG, and takes effect immediately.
The HSG catalog includes 4,400 copyrights, originally part of Big Deal Music, which Hipgnosis purchased in 2020. Songs in the collection include works by One Direction, Panic! At the Disco, Shawn Mendes, Sabrina Carpenter, and Teddy Swims, among others.
Sony will now serve as the full-service publisher for the HSG catalog and its clients worldwide. The company stated it plans to transition HSG into its system over the coming months while maintaining service quality for existing clients.
This acquisition follows Hipgnosis’ rebranding earlier this year under the Recognition Music Group name. At the time, the company was still under strategic review by Blackstone. Sony’s purchase appears to be the result of that review and finalizes the reorganization process.
