This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply. Richard Smirke, writing for Billboard: Music IP investment company Hipgnosis Songs has begun 2020 in much the same way that it spent the past 18 months — by making a major catalog acquisition. This time it’s 157 songs by former Blink-182 singer and songwriter Tom DeLonge. Terms were not disclosed for the deal, which sees Hipgnosis picking up 100% of DeLonge’s copyright interests on the first six Blink-182 studio albums, spanning from 1995’s independently released Cheshire Cat to 2011’s Neighborhoods. The musician left the pop-punk trio in 2015. Expand - View Original
So what does this mean exactly? Tom gets a one-off payday and they get the royalties and if someone writes a song that sounds like ATST they can sue?
Who knows, but the article says he sold the copyright interests to the AVA catalogue as well. If I had to guess, he needs money for To The Stars.
I feel like there are a lot of accurate assessments above. I guess it’s his right, but as a music fan it’s disappointing.
This is a payoff/cash in with the genesis being based in the divorce. I think it’s extremely short sighted, as the guard starts to change at the advertising agencies - so does the music they license. Do I think All The Small Things is gonna sell deodorant? No. But who would have ever guessed Motorhead would pull off multiple multi-year multinational ad campaigns 50 years into their career?
I agree with this entirely. I remember Less Than Jake at one of the Warped Tours a few years back saying that they leased the rights to one of their songs from Borders and Boundaries (~15 years old at the time) to the Toronto Blue Jays for one year. When the crowd predictably boo'd, they said, "Hey, you would do the same thing for half a million dollars!" $500k to let a team borrow a song for a year. Insanity.
So basically, these songs of his that are like 15+ Years old are only going to see royalties decline with time. So he’s cashing out. So he getting some fast cash. that’s how I’m seeing it anyways. I could be way off.
In a perfect world, this would be Tom’s response to blink’s decision to work with XXXT. It would be a strong, wordless statement. Of course we know it’s all about the $$$ to fund Tom’s....projects.
Though, this doesn’t touch his quarterly Blink paycheck. All the shows, merch, possible album sales?, etc. He still has a healthy income.
Musicians need to sell out more. Smart move. The best is yet to come. I do feel he will rejoin even if its strictly for studio to get $ and be involved but skip out on touring. Maybe do a short run advertise it as his return charge obscene amounts or play huge venues. Be cool if they keep skiba if this ever happens lol
I figured he’d make a guest appearance on an album/single, and everyone could gauge the process from there. It’d be a good promotion for both bands, it’d be some familiar faces and you’d have a new mix with Matt, Tom and probably John Feldman there in the studio too. Or also do an AvA song feat Mark and Travis. If egos don’t get in the way, it’d make for a profitable tour. You could have AvA, Blink frat Tom, then Blink. But maybe these things need to live apart which is fine. I am very happy with Skiba in Blink. It’s also nice for fans to know that everyone is on good terms and just need to be creative in the environment they are in.
I don’t know if you’re referring to my posts here, but if so, Tom is still a full partner in ‘blink 182 inc’. Any income to the corporation he gets paid out on, regardless of his participation, in perpetuity.
Hipgnosis has bought so many artists’ catalogs over the past year. Sam Hollander, The Chainsmokers, Poo Bear, Brendan O’Brien, Jeff Bhasker, Jack Antonoff. None of those people are dying for money, but everyone just assumes Tom’s broke because he cashed out. Hilarious. This is just the future of the industry and investing, not Tom heading down to the pawn shop.