Roger Waters signs publishing deal with BMG, leaves Warner/Chappell

Roger Waters penned some of Pink Floyd’s most iconic tracks – and now they’re going to be managed by BMG.

Waters has signed a long-term global publishing deal with BMG to represent his songs from the seminal band’s catalogue.

The agreement means that Waters leaves behind his contract with Warner/Chappell, where the songwriter last re-signed an admin deal in 2010.

Waters’ contribution to Pink Floyd’s material dates back to the band’s very first album, Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967), but he became increasingly prolific as the group’s career went on.

Waters alone penned Pink Floyd classics such as ‘Money’ and ‘Another Brick In The Wall’, as well as co-writing the likes of ‘Comfortably Numb’ and ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’.

The publishing rights to songs from Waters’ fellow Pink Floyd members David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright are owned by Pink Floyd Music Publishers, which is administered worldwide by Imagem.

Masuch Hartwig_BMG

“To win the endorsement and trust of one of the world’s most successful songwriters is a significant milestone.”

Hartwig Masuch, BMG

For BMG, the Roger Waters catalogue is amongst its biggest signings since the company re-emerged as a Bertelsmann-backed independent in 2008.

Since then, the company has inked a deal to represent Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’s post-1983 song rights, as well as acquiring the catalogues of publishers including Chrysalis, Bug, Virgin, Mute, Sanctuary, Primary Wave and Talpa Music.

BMG CEO, Hartwig Masuch said, “We are honoured that Roger Waters has chosen BMG, the youngest of the big international music companies to represent his legendary and exquisite catalog.

“To win the endorsement and trust of one of the world’s most successful songwriters is a significant milestone less than eight years after our launch.”

Roger Waters said, “October last year I put on a gig called “Music Heals” with some wounded veterans in Washington DC, BMG supported us. I’m very glad to be back in the same team.”Music Business Worldwide

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