Who owns R Kelly music Publishing?
R. Kelly had been signed to labels now owned by Sony since the beginning of his career in the early 1990s and has been under contract at RCA since 2012. Allegations against Kelly have been around for more than a decade, and he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008. However, The R&B artist,…
R. Kelly had been signed to labels now owned by Sony since the beginning of his career in the early 1990s and has been under contract at RCA since 2012. Allegations against Kelly have been around for more than a decade, and he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008.
However, The R&B artist, 55, was convicted last September in New York of racketeering and sex trafficking crime and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for using his celebrity status to sexually abuse children and women.
Who owns R Kelly Music Publishing?
Kelly’s recordings remain owned by RCA, a division of Sony Music, while his songwriting copyrights are controlled by Universal.
According to industry estimates, 780 million steams, Kelly’s total in the United States since the start of 2019, would typically generate around $3 million in payments to rights holders. Neither Sony nor Universal would comment on the current state of Kelly’s music.
UMPG acquired Kelly’s catalog in 2007, as part of the parent Universal Music Group’s acquisition of BMG Music Publishing. BMG Music Publishing included Zomba, which controlled Kelly’s copyrights. UMPG still owns his catalog. Kelly has 681 songs registered with BMI, including such hits as “I Believe I Can Fly,” “Bump N’ Grind” and “Ignition,” as well as tracks for other artists, including “You Are Not Alone,” co-written and recorded by Michael Jackson.
