Van Halen Signs With Atlas Music Group For Music Publishing Rights


Eddie and Alex Van Halen have been keeping busy, but not with touring.

Blabbermouth is reporting that the Van Halen brothers have signed a new music publishing deal with Atlas Music Group.

This is the first time Van Halen has worked with an independent music publisher. The new agreement covers all of Van Halen’s catalog except for Van Halen’s last album, 2012’s A Different Kind Of Truth. The deal does cover singles and albums that correlate to sales over 90 million copies worldwide.

That’s the kind of numbers that makesVan Halen into the upper echelon as one of the best-selling bands in the world.

Atlas Music CEO Richard Stumpf said he is a fan of the Van Halens.

“Van Halen were the reason I first became an avid music fan, so it is both professionally and personally humbling to have Ed and Al join the Atlas family. Not many can say they defined a sound that would change the course of rock history — the Van Halens can. We are honored that these musical pioneers have chosen us to represent their songs for years to come. We will help ensure that new generations of music listeners are keenly aware of just how important Van Halen is to the music world and how incredible their songwriting is. Nobody combines melody and musicianship like Ed and Al.”

Billboard is reporting that this has been a protracted effort by Stumpf to not only get the Van Halen catalog, but to push his business to the forefront of music publishing.

“This deal has been a long time coming,” Stumpf said. “I have been after Irving Azoff [the manager for the brothers] and Peter Paterno [the lawyer for the brothers], for five years to find out if there would ever be an opportunity to work with the Van Halen catalog. They are my favorite all-time band so this is kind of a surreal moment where my professional and personal lives are coming together.”

Now, the Atlas Group can begin using the fast Van Halen catalog for other endeavors, such as looking to synchronize the Van Halen library with television, movies, and commercials.

The Atlas Music Group now has a catalog of over 4,000 songs, thanks also to the purchase of Combustion Music’s catalog in September 2014. Part of that deal includes an Atlas/Nashville going forward in a joint venture.

Warner/Chappell Music handled the Van Halen’s music publishing catalog until Atlas bought it. “We will help ensure that new generations of music listeners are keenly aware of just how important Van Halen is to the music world and how incredible their songwriting is,” Stumpf said in a statement.

[Image courtesy of Ultimate Classic Rock]

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