Arcade Fire are moving their entire back catalogue to Sony Music – ending their 12-year label relationship with Universal Music Group.
Various sources have told MBW that the Canadian act have signed a worldwide deal with Sony for all of their past recordings, in addition to their new album.
Going back over the history books, you can expect Sony Music UK & Ireland boss Jason Iley’s fingerprints to be on the new contract.
Iley signed Arcade Fire to UMG for multiple territories while running Universal’s UK-based Mercury imprint in 2005. The new global Sony deal is believed to have been struck in London.
In a coup for new Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer, Arcade Fire’s much-anticipated fifth studio album is slated to be released via Columbia Records in the UK and US on July 28.
New single Everything Now – also the title of the new LP – is out today and has just been named as BBC Radio 1’s ‘Hottest Record’ in the UK.
Arcade Fire have sold more than 6m albums across their career, in addition to winning multiple JUNO Awards, BRIT Awards and Grammys.
In 2011, the band’s The Suburbs won both the Album of The Year Grammy and the Polaris Music Prize – which they added to with BRIT Awards for Best International Album and Best International Group.
Arcade Fire released debut album Funeral in 2004 on Merge in North America – and then on Rough Trade in the UK the following year.
Three albums were then released in connection with UMG: 2007’s Neon Bible (a US and UK No.2); 2010’s The Suburbs (a US and UK No.1); and 2013’s Reflektor (a US and UK No.1).
Neon Bible and The Suburbs remained on Merge in North America, but were released via UMG in the UK and other territories. Reflektor was a full global UMG release.
All four studio albums to date are covered by the new global Sony deal – bringing the Arcade Fire catalogue together at one worldwide label home for the first time.
Speaking to MBW about Arcade Fire in 2015, the band’s manager Scott Rodger explained: “They’re a huge touring act who sell around 1.6m – 2m albums each time.
“We’re out of our deal, they have no deal, plus most of their catalogue has reverted back to them.”
It appears that both the group and Rodger have since found a new home for these rights – one which satisfies their lofty ambitions, while linking them back up with Iley.Music Business Worldwide
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