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Adele’s rumoured Sony deal could be worth £90 million

By | Published on Monday 23 May 2016

Adele

There has been plenty of chitter chatter in recent weeks to the effect that Adele is in serious talks to sign with Sony Music. Now one of those pesky sources at the major label has told The Sun that a deal is very close to being signed, and it will be worth £90 million, making it the highest value record deal signed by a British artist to date.

Though, of course, the specifics of what that £90 million constitutes, and what revenues the singer is sharing with the major to unlock the deal, are as yet far from clear.

Adele has worked with Beggars label XL to date, though the indie struck up a partnership with Sony Music to help with marketing and distribution in the US, so the singer has an existing relationship with the major. She became a free agent record-deal-wise after the release of her most recent album, and it was known Sony was keen to exploit its existing alliance to try to get the exclusive rights to Adele’s future recordings.

“We have secured the biggest music star in a generation”, said the anonymous Sony Music source to The Sun. “This is massive. Adele’s deal with her original label XL expired and we’d an existing relationship with her in America. The deal is being worked on by our Columbia label in the US, but is worth £90 million and gives Sony the rights to release her future music exclusively around the world”.

With that kind of investment, Sony will be hoping that Adele can retain her phenomenal worldwide success with future albums. The signing would see the major get another top level UK artist on its roster, having recently signed Robbie Williams via its UK division. Though Universal Music is likely to get Harry Styles for his solo career now that Sony-signed One Direction are no more – sorry, definitely “on hiatus” – so there can be some bragging at the other end of Kensington High Street too.

The rumours of Adele’s new record deal follow the singer’s win last week at the Ivor Novello songwriter awards, where she was declared Songwriter Of The Year, providing her with a nice gong to plonk on the top of all that cash.



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