Tokyo / Singapore, 28 January 2026 – Japanese entertainment and technology giant Sony Group Corporation and GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, are forming a joint investment partnership to acquire music catalogs worth approximately US$2 billion, a substantial bet on long-term music royalties and intellectual property rights in the global entertainment sector.
Under the agreement, Sony and GIC will combine capital to acquire rights to song catalogs and associated music assets from a range of artists and rights holders, a segment that has drawn strong investor interest due to predictable royalty streams and strong demand for music content. The move marks a deepening of institutional capital flows into the music rights market, joining other major catalog deals that have driven industry consolidation and valuation growth in recent years.
Music catalogs, which include rights to songs and recordings that generate royalties from streaming, radio plays, licensing, and other uses, have become highly sought after assets in recent years as investors seek stable, long-duration cash flows that are less correlated with traditional equities and credit markets. Sony’s expertise in music rights and GIC’s long-term investment horizon are expected to underpin the venture’s strategy.
The deal highlights Sony’s ongoing expansion in music publishing and catalog acquisitions, which have been a strategic priority amid changing industry economics and increased monetisation opportunities from global streaming platforms and synchronization revenues. Catalog acquisitions have included some of the world’s most iconic artist backlists in recent years, forming a strong foundation for further rights aggregation.
Institutional investors like GIC have increasingly participated in music-rights investing alongside strategic media companies and specialist funds, reflecting a broader trend of intellectual property becoming a core alternative asset class. The planned joint venture aligns with that shift, blending financial capital with Sony’s creative and licensing capabilities.
The size of this initiative, at around US$2 billion, underscores the scale of investor demand for royalty-producing assets and Sony’s ambition to grow its footprint in global music rights and content monetisation.
