The Weeknd has finalized a significant new partnership involving his music catalog, entering into a business venture with Lyric Capital Group that covers his masters and publishing from the start of his career through 2025.
According to Variety, the agreement is not a traditional catalog sale. Representatives for Abel Tesfaye confirmed that he will retain creative control, ownership, and equity in the catalog while remaining an active partner in the venture. The structure allows Tesfaye and his team to maintain full authority over how the music is used and developed moving forward.
A representative explained that The Weeknd had no intention of selling his catalog outright. Instead, the goal was to create a new partnership model that gives the artist flexibility while preserving long-term control over both publishing and masters. The deal does not include any future releases beyond 2025.
The arrangement does not alter The Weeknd’s existing relationships with XO, Republic Records, or Universal Music Group. His publishing catalog will continue to be administered by Universal Music Publishing Group, and future projects remain outside the scope of the agreement.
Financial details were not disclosed, though Billboard and Bloomberg previously estimated the value of The Weeknd’s catalog assets at a minimum of $1 billion based on roughly $55 million in annual net earnings. Because the deal is structured as a partnership rather than a sale, a traditional royalty multiple cannot be applied.
If the reported valuation is accurate, the deal would rank among the largest catalog transactions involving a contemporary artist. Similar high-profile agreements include Queen’s $1.27 billion sale of its masters to Sony in 2024 and Michael Jackson’s $1.25 billion catalog valuation in a partial-stake deal earlier that year.
The Weeknd remains one of the most commercially dominant artists in music, with more than 120 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His After Hours ’Til Dawn Tour recently surpassed $1 billion in ticket sales, setting a record for a solo male artist.
Executives at Lyric Capital described the partnership as a new model for artist-led ownership and legacy planning. The firm also controls Spirit Music Group and catalogs from artists including Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, and Ingrid Michaelson.
The deal reflects a broader shift among top artists toward retaining creative autonomy while exploring alternative financial structures beyond traditional catalog sales.
