Iconic song lyrics by legendary songwriters such as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Queen, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye are available to be licensed for use on consumer merchandise following a new agreement between Michael Gottlieb’s Sunny Side Up Licensing Consultancy and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Ltd., the world’s leading music publisher which controls nearly three million songs.
Also available to be licensed are famous lyrics from hundreds of Motown songs, as well as timeless classics such as ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘You’ve Got a Friend’, ‘Stand By Me’, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, ‘All I Have to Do is Dream’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Under the agreement, Sunny Side Up will look to turn Sony/ATV’s world-famous songs into high street brands in their own right through partnerships with major retailers and consumer goods companies.
Product sectors being targeted include: clothing, accessories, housewares, food and beverages, toys and games, stationery and giftware.
Bruce New, licensing manager at Sony/ATV Music Publishing UK, said: “Music licensing is a key source of income for our songwriters. As a pro-active publisher, we are always looking to engage with and develop new creative areas where our songs can be placed.”
He added: “Sunny Side Up has developed substantial contacts and trusted relationships in this area of licensing. Together we will seek new opportunities which will ultimately benefit our songwriters by licensing their compositions and lyrics for use on as many new products as possible.”
Michael Gottlieb, managing partner of Sunny Side Up Licensing Consultancy, said: “Music and lyrics have an unparalleled power to stir emotions and bring a product to life. Merchandise featuring an iconic lyric can differentiate a brand in a heartbeat.
“Retailers and brands are increasingly recognising the strong consumer appeal of putting iconic song lyrics on products to convey humour, express an uplifting sentiment, evoke nostalgia, or just add something special to an everyday item.”
Gottlieb added: “Sony/ATV has a tremendous catalogue of classic songs and the lyrics for these songs have touched and inspired millions of people for decades. Now fans will be able to enjoy innovative consumer products inspired by some of the greatest songwriters of all time.”
ENDS.
About Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Ltd is the world’s leading music publisher, administering nearly three million compositions, including songs by The Beatles and Queen, the Motown catalogue, Stellar Songs (Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith) and TV and film themes from companies such as Hit Entertainment, Fox and ITV Studios. Sony/ATV is at the forefront of licensing musical copyrights into new and exciting products, ensuring that its songwriters’ compositions are effectively represented and that all licensees who want music to be used in their products are encouraged to do so to the highest possible standard.
About Sunny Side Up Licensing Consultancy
Sunny Side Up (www.sunnysideuplicensing.com) is the first licensing consultancy to specialise in licensing famous song lyrics for use on consumer products. The consultancy was launched in July 2014 by experienced licensing specialist Michael Gottlieb who has been involved in the licensing, entertainment and consumer goods industries for over 25 years. He has worked with some of the world’s largest rights owners since starting his career at Warner Bros Consumer Products in the late 1980s. Gottlieb founded Sunny Side Up after spotting the commercial potential of featuring instantly recognisable song lyrics on a broad variety of non-music consumer products.