The Weeknd has entered into a landmark partnership with Lyric Capital Group, forming a new joint venture centred on his music catalogue from inception through 2025. Representatives for the artist confirmed that the deal allows Abel Tesfaye and his team to retain creative control while remaining shareholders and owners within the venture.
The agreement is not a traditional catalogue sale. According to a representative, the singer was clear from the outset that he did not want to sell his body of work outright. Instead, the partnership was designed as an alternative business model that enables Tesfaye to continue shaping the creative and commercial future of his catalogue, covering both publishing and master recordings.
The venture applies only to music released up to 2025 and excludes any future projects. The Weeknd will continue his long-standing recording partnership with XO, Republic Records and Universal Music Group, while his publishing catalogue remains administered by Universal Music Publishing Group.
Although no financial figures have been officially confirmed, industry sources previously suggested the deal values the catalogue at around $1 billion. If accurate, it would rank among the largest catalogue-related agreements involving a single artist, particularly one still in the prime of his career.
Lyric Capital described the structure as a first-of-its-kind arrangement, including a newly developed royalty-backed note created in collaboration with Partners Group. The company said the model was designed to strengthen artist ownership and long-term equity rather than focus on short-term monetization.
Lyric founding partner Ross Cameron said the collaboration aimed to change how artists think about their music, assets and legacy, while co-managing partner Rich Garzia described the partnership as a benchmark for artist-friendly investment at the highest level.
One of the world’s most streamed artists, the Weeknd has more than 120 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His ongoing After Hours Til Dawn tour recently surpassed $1 billion in revenue, setting a new record for a solo male artist.
Lyric Capital specialises in music royalty investments and also owns Spirit Music Group, which manages catalogues from artists including Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean and Ingrid Michaelson.
