The Mijac Music catalogue is a music catalogue founded by American singer songwriter

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

in 1980. It comprises songs written by Michael Jackson, as well as notable songs performed by Jackson and other artists, including Sly and the Family Stone,

Kenneth Gamble Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production duo credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as P ...

, and Leon Huff. The catalogue also includes songs made famous by other artists such as

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, and

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

History

The publishing rights to the Michael Jackson Mijac catalog were managed by Warner-Chappell from its inception in 1980. In 2005, the catalogue's value was reported to be at least $75 million. Following Jackson's death in 2009, the catalogue's value was estimated to be between $50 million and $100 million, rising to $150 million within a year, according to Billboard. In 2010,

John Branca John Gregory Branca (born December 11, 1950) is an entertainment lawyer and manager who specializes in representing rock and roll acts. He is also co-executor of the Estate of Michael Jackson. Background His mother, Barbara Werle, Barbara M ...

, the executor of Jackson's estate, moved the catalogue from Warner-Chappell to

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

, granting Sony the rights to administration for 7 years in a deal worth $250 million. This agreement was renewed in 2018 for an additional 7 years, again for $250 million.

Ownership

As of 2024, Michael Jackson's estate holds a 90% share of the catalogue, while Primary Wave Music holds the remaining 10%. In 2024, the estate sold half of Jackson's stake in Mijac Music to

for $600 million, marking the largest deal for a single music artist's assets to date.

References

{{Michael Jackson Michael Jackson 1980 establishments in the United States Songs written by Michael Jackson Michael Jackson songs