Litmus Music, a catalog rights company backed by private-equity giant Carlyle Group LP, has said it acquired the rights to Katy Perry’s five studio albums.
Justin Bieber was the previous title holder, after offloading his stake in his back catalogue to the UK-based Hipgnosis Songs Capital in January for $200m (£162m).
The sale, which was announced on Monday, covers all five albums Perry released for Capitol Records, from 2008’s One of the Boys to 2020’s Smile. Multiple sources put the price at $225 million. The deal includes Perry’s stakes in master recordings and publishing rights for the five albums she released between 2008 and 2020: “One of the Boys,” “Teenage Dream”, “Prism,” “Witness” and “Smile.” Universal Music Group continues to own the masters to those albums.
Litmus now owns Perry’s stake in the master recordings and publishing for the records, meaning it will collect any future royalties the music earns.
Perry’s career has stalled after years as a major celebrity in the 2010s. Instead, she is concentrating on residencies in Las Vegas, philanthropic activities, and starting a baby with her partner, the actor Orlando Bloom.
Perry came onto the music scene in 2008 with her debut single “I Kissed A Girl.” The song went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for seven weeks. Eight other Perry hits would also eventually reach the top spot, including “California Gurls,” “E.T” and “Firework.”
