Back in 2021, we told you about a new fund in the Netherlands called Pythagoras Music Fund (PMF).
PMF is financed by private and institutional investors, who committed €100 million (approx USD $107m) to acquire copyrights. PMF’s managing partners are John Ewbank, Hein van der Ree, Rob Hendriks, Michiel Boere and John Brands.
The fund’s first acquisition, announced in September 2021, was 100% of the shares in Dutch music companies Nanada Music and Red Bullet from Dutch music industry legend Willem van Kooten, home to artists including Shocking Blue, Golden Earring and Focus.
Speaking with MBW last year, PMF Partner van der Ree said that, PMF’s focus is “very much on acquisitions in Europe”, but that the firm wouldn’t rule out acquisitions in the US, as highlighted by its purchase of the Soulshock and Karlin catalog in January last year.
MBW has now confirmed that PMF has already spent approximately €100 million (USD $107m) on music rights.
PMF has also announced its latest deal: The acquisition of what it says is “the worldwide publishing rights” to Barton Music and its affiliated catalogs, for an undisclosed sum.
The Barton Music catalog includes what PMF calls “American Songbook Standards”, made famous by Frank Sinatra’s performances including songs like Come Fly With Me, Love & Marriage, (Love is) The Tender Trap, Time After Time, All The Way, and High Hopes.
PMF also notes that Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Etta James, Sarah Vaughan, as well as contemporary artists such as Plácido Domingo, Linda Ronstadt, Michael Bublé, Westlife and Robbie Williams have all recorded compositions that are part of the Barton Music catalog.
Some of these songs can be heard in films such as A Hole In The Head, From Here To Eternity, The Tender Trap, The Joker Is Wild, The Man With The Golden Arm, It Happened in Brooklyn, A Bronx Tale and Goodfellas.
In both 1957 and 1959 songwriters Sammy Cahn and James van Heusen won Academy Awards in the Best Song category for All The Way and High Hopes.
“Pythagoras is building a collection of music rights of the highest quality and we are delighted with the acquisition of Barton Music and affiliated catalogs.”
Hein van der Ree, Pythagoras Music Fund
Hein van der Ree on behalf of Pythagoras Music Fund, said: “These beautiful songs will forever be part of popular music culture around the world.
“Pythagoras is building a collection of music rights of the highest quality and we are delighted with the acquisition of Barton Music and affiliated catalogs.”Music Business Worldwide
