(l to r) – CTM advisor Steve Lewis, Fraser T. Smith manager Sarah Thorneycroft-Smith, Fraser T. Smith, and CTM Outlander CEO André de Raaff. Photo Credit: CTM Outlander
CTM Outlander has officially acquired the catalog of veteran songwriter and producer Fraser T. Smith.
Hilversum-headquartered CTM Outlander, a joint operation from the namesake CTM and Dallas-based Outlander Capital, emailed Digital Music News today about this newest play. While the two-year-old music-IP investor opted not to disclose the precise ownership details or financials at hand, it did communicate that the transaction encompasses “key copyrights” recorded by a number of high-profile acts.
To be sure, Buckinghamshire-born Smith has songwriting and/or production credits on tracks released by Kesha, Kylie Minogue, Ellie Goulding, Adele (including “Set Fire to the Rain”), Britney Spears, the Kaiser Chiefs, Sam Smith, Tiësto, Jonas Blue, and Rita Ora (“Ritual”), and Stormzy, to name some.
The André de Raaff-led purchasing party likewise noted that the deal includes “the writer’s share for most of the compositions, with the songs being administered on a global basis by CTM Outlander.” In a statement, 52-year-old Fraser T. Smith expressed the belief that his body of work “will be given the very best platform for the future.”
And in comments of his own, de Raaff touched upon his ambitious long-term plans for the Grammy-winning songwriter’s catalog.
“I want to thank Fraser and Sarah [Thorneycroft-Smith, Fraser’s manager] for entrusting us to look after these wonderful songs,” relayed de Raaff. “Fraser is a once in a generation songwriter and we look forward to shining a light on these compositions for years to come. On a personal level, both Fraser and Sarah are both [sic] wonderful to work with, and we are truly humbled that they have partnered with CTM Outlander.”
Meanwhile, CTM Outlander also took the opportunity to underscore “its ambition to invest over a billion U.S. dollars in acquiring music publishing and master rights.” Last month, the entity unveiled what it described as its “biggest deal so far,” a catalog and futures pact with Shane McAnally.
Additionally, execs today highlighted their plans to announce “further acquisitions” sometime later this summer.
Notwithstanding rising rates and concerns about the state of the broader economy, CTM Outlander is hardly alone in continuing to close catalog buyouts, with HarbourView Equity Partners, Armada Music’s BEAT, AP Music Royalties, and Reservoir Media having announced IP investments during the past month or so.
Nevertheless, the catalog-acquisition space hasn’t been without less-than-ideal headlines and developments; amid well-documented operational obstacles, Hipgnosis Songs Fund this week saw its stock price touch what appeared to be a record low.