Sarah McLachlan Sells Majority Stake in Catalogs to Primary Wave (EXCLUSIVE)
Primary Wave Music has struck a partnership with multiple Grammy and Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan that sees the company acquiring a majority stake in her songwriting and recorded-music catalog.
Further terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it includes such hits as “Angel,” “I Will Remember You,” “Hold On,” and more.
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Following the success of her 1993 breakthrough album, “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy,” the singer has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, received three Grammy Awards and twelve Juno Awards and has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
The singer’s partnership with Primary Wave will also include access to the company’s marketing and publishing infrastructure, which encompasses digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities, and film & TV production. Moving forward, the publisher will also work with McLachlan to market her name and likeness. Attorney Kenny Meiselas and his partner Stuart Prager represented McLachlan in the deal.
“I’m so delighted to be working with Larry and the whole team at Primary Wave,” said Sarah McLachlan. “First and foremost, they are music fans, and I’m confident that this new partnership will enable us to nurture my catalogue of music carefully through the ever-changing landscape of the music industry.”
“Sarah McLachlan is one of the most respected and influential artists of a generation, who also happens to have the voice of an ‘Angel,’” said Larry Mestel, CEO & Founder of Primary Wave Music. He goes on, “I’m so proud to welcome her into the Primary Wave family.”
Since it was founded in 2006, Primary Wave has since acquired catalogs from Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, James Brown, Stevie Nicks, Ray Charles, Hall & Oates, Bing Crosby, the Ramones, Luther Vandross, half of the Prince estate, and dozens more. Last year, it struck a $2 billion partnership with Brookfield Asset Management (with CAA as a strategic partner) to invest in even more catalogs.
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