finance
Warner Music Group Buys Red Hot Chili Peppers' Recorded Catalog for More Than $300 Million
The band sold its recorded music rights through Warner Music Group's joint venture with Bain Capital. The deal, long rumored, accounts for nearly half the venture's catalog spending to date. It follows the group's 2021 sale of its publishing catalog and comes as Sony Music Group negotiates to buy that entity.
May 8, 3:25 PM·1m read1 source
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Sources familiar with the matter told The Hollywood Reporter. Warner Music Group acquired the catalog through its joint venture with Bain Capital. 2 billion joint venture catalog acquisition vehicle with Bain Capital in July 2025.
The company released its earnings report on May 7, 2026, stating it had spent $650 million on catalogs since the joint venture's launch. The Red Hot Chili Peppers catalog deal represents close to half of the Warner Music Group/Bain Capital joint venture’s reported spending. The deal had been long rumored.
Billboard reported in February 2025 that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were shopping their recorded rights. Music Business Worldwide speculated earlier in 2026 that the Warner Music Group/Bain Capital venture was potentially targeting the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This marks the second major rights sale for the band.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers sold its publishing catalog to Hipgnosis in a $140 million deal in 2021. Hipgnosis is now known as Recognition Music Group. Sony Music Group is currently in talks to acquire Recognition Music Group in what would be a multibillion-dollar deal.
Recognition Music Group owns publishing rights for Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and Neil Young. ” The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have been signed to Warner Records since the early 1990s. They released every one of their albums since 1991’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik on Warner Records.
The catalog acquisition space remains active as major labels partner with outside investors. Universal Music Group has a minority stake in Chord Music Partners. Sony recently announced a venture with Singapore’s GIC.
