BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) and The Estate of Michael Jackson announced today that they have inked a renewal agreement for BMI to continue to represent the performing rights in Michael Jackson’s songwriting catalog. This new deal continues an uninterrupted 41-year long relationship between the King of Pop and the performance rights organization which began in 1979 when Michael Jackson first signed with BMI. The Estate and BMI last renewed the deal in 2014.

“Michael first signed with BMI in the nascent stage of his solo career and BMI has never wavered in its commitment to his extraordinary talent. This is a significant agreement, commensurate with the robust growth of interest in his music and his enduring contribution to the culture,” said John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson.

“The influence of Michael Jackson’s revolutionary music is undeniable,” said Mike O’Neill, President & CEO, BMI. “We are extremely pleased that his estate continues to entrust BMI to represent his extraordinary catalog.”

Michael Jackson’s remarkable career scaled unparalleled musical, commercial and critical heights. As a songwriter, he penned more than 150 songs, with more than 20 reaching multi-million performance status. Michael’s compositions include some of the most iconic songs of all time: We Are the World; Billie Jean; Smooth Criminal; Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin; They Don’t Care About Us; Earth Song; Black or White; Bad; Love Never Felt So Good; Can You Feel It; Heal the World and more.

To illustrate the strength of Jackson’s vast repertoire, 17 of his songs have exceeded over one million plays on radio, with some exceeding five million spins. In total, these 17 songs alone have surpassed 30 million radio plays, an outstanding feat by any measure.

Michael’s music continues to thrill fans and inspire artists all over the world. At the end of last year, Michael’s albums held spots on ten of Billboard’s year end charts and on-demand streams of his music increased by 23%, outpacing the industry at large. With over 6.5 billion streams, he remains one of the most popular artists of all time.

ABOUT BMI:

Celebrating 80 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in over 15 million musical works created and owned by more than one million songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on Twitter @BMI or stay connected through Broadcast Music, Inc.‘s Facebook page. Sign up for BMI’s The Weekly™ and receive our e-newsletter every week to stay up to date on all things music.

 
CONTACTS:

Estate of Michael Jackson:
Diana Baron
d.baron
media relations inc.
310 315 5444
Diana@dbaronmedia.com
www.dbaronmedia.com

Liz Fischer | Senior Vice President

Corporate Communications & Marketing

New York | 917-691-2447