LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — The company formerly known as Hipgnosis has officially been rebranded as Recognition Music Group following its acquisition by private equity giant Blackstone in 2024.
Founded by music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis, the fund was a pioneer in treating music as an asset class, attracting significant investment by promising stable returns from streaming, licensing, and publishing rights.
Since its launch, the company has invested billions in acquiring music rights and currently holds stakes in catalogs from artists and songwriters such as Fleetwood Mac, Shakira, Neil Young, and Justin Bieber.
However, the company faced increasing skepticism from investors due to rising interest rates and stock underperformance. This culminated in a failed buyout attempt in 2023, when investors rejected a proposal to sell assets to Hipgnosis Songs Capital, a Blackstone-backed entity.
Late last year, Blackstone completed a $1.5 billion securitization of the company’s assets amid a major restructuring that saw Mercuriadis exit the firm.
According to Recognition, the company now controls more than 45,000 songs and recordings from over 145 catalogs, including iconic works from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Journey, and Leonard Cohen, among others..
Ben Katovsky, CEO of Recognition, stated:
“Today, we are setting out a new identity for a new company. Recognition encapsulates the cultural significance of the songs in our catalog, the supreme talent of the songwriters and artists who created them, and the resonance they inspire in fans worldwide.”
He added, “We are excited to be entering this new chapter as an integrated company, committed to supporting artists and songwriters, enhancing the legacy and value of our songs, and, over time, growing our portfolio with the addition of more stellar songs.”
