Red Hot Chili PeppersWhile Red Hot Chili Peppers have been signed with Warner Music Group since 1991, they’ve never made a deal with the major label like this until now.
The Under The Bridge hitmakers have sold their recorded music catalogue to Warner Music Group for over USD$300 million (over $414 million AUD). Giving their master recordings to the label, NME reports that Warner will collect “all future income” that’s generated from the band’s album sales, streaming, radio play, and licensing.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Warner Music Group made the deal happen through a joint venture with the investment firm Bain Capital, which launched a $1.2 billion ($1.65 billion) fund last year to acquire music catalogues from major artists.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ discography is reportedly expected to generate $26 million (over $35 million) in annual revenue. Before inking the new deal with Warner, the band controlled those rights.
The band previously struck a deal with Recognition Music Group—formerly known as Hipgnosis—when they reportedly sold the publishing rights to their music for $140 million ($193 million).
Their most recent albums, Unlimited Dream and Return Of The Dream Canteen, were released in 2022 and reached #1 and #2 on the Australian charts, respectively.
In March, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea released his debut solo album, Honora.
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For the album, Flea time-travelled to his childhood and returned to his first musical love: jazz and playing the trumpet. Honora finds Flea partnering with elite jazz visionaries, including album producer and saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss, and drummer Deantoni Parks.
Guest vocalists who appear on the album include Radiohead’s Thom Yorke (and his Atoms For Peace bandmate) and Nick Cave.
Red Hot Chili Peppers last toured Australia in January 2023, performing in stadiums. In Melbourne, they performed hits such as Suck My Kiss, Under The Bridge, and Give It Away—classics that were sorely missed in Brisbane.
Reviewing the first show of the tour, which took place in Brisbane, The Music’s Jess Martyn wrote, “There’s just one problem: after more than 90 minutes of amazing music, energy and chemistry, that highly anticipated encore never comes, leaving lovers of classics Can’t Stop and Under the Bridge feeling somewhat jilted.
“At the end of the night, two things are certain: Flea deserved much more time on the big screen and skipping the encore only works if you don’t leave two of your biggest songs off the setlist. Now to listen to Can’t Stop on repeat.”
