Who Owns The Happy Birthday Song (2023)

FAQs

Who owns the copyright to the Happy Birthday song? ›

While many believe that this iconic song was created out of folk tradition, the song's origins can be traced back to two sisters who created it in the early 1890's. The song is now owned by Warner/Chappell Music, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, one of the largest music publishers in the world.

Paul McCartney doesn't own it.

There's an urban legend that former Beatle Paul McCartney snatched up the rights. But that's not true; Macca just owns a ton of other musicians' catalogs, including Buddy Holly's. (Fun fact: For many years, Michael Jackson owned the majority of McCartney's Beatles songs.

By the way, though some think otherwise, neither Paul McCartney nor Michael Jackson have ever owned the song. Apparently Warner brings in over $2 million a year in royalties from HB, which they claim they acquired through a company they bought in 1998 for $25 million.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the song generated $15,000 to $20,000 per year. Through the 1960s, it made closer to $50,000 annually, and over $75,000 during the 1970s. By the 1990s, the song was generating well over $1 million per year. In the last few years, WMG has pulled in over $2 million a year in royalties.

In a coda to one of the most notable music copyright lawsuits in years, the Warner Music Group has agreed to pay $14 million to settle claims over “Happy Birthday to You,” after a judge ruled last year that the company's long-claimed copyright to the famous song was invalid.

In 2017, McCartney got back the copyrights to the Beatles catalog of songs in a private settlement with Sony ATV, which had owned them for years. McCartney had been battling for years to regain the copyright of songs he wrote with band members John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

None of the early appearances of the “Happy Birthday to You” lyrics included credits or copyright notices. The Summy Company registered a copyright in 1935, crediting authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R. R. Forman.

Estimated earnings: $50 million

In 1893, the Hill sisters needed a song for their kindergarten class to sing on birthdays. Fast forward 120 years and "Happy Birthday" is by far the richest and most profitable song of all time.

In a settlement filed with courts on Monday, music publisher Warner/Chappell agreed to pay $14m to end the lawsuit challenging its right to Happy Birthday To You – possibly the world's most famous song. The tune has a long contentious history stretching back to the late 19th century.

The company was formed as Sony/ATV in 1995 by the merger of the original incarnation of Sony Music Publishing and ATV Music, which was owned by late entertainer Michael Jackson. Jackson had purchased ATV Music, which included the Lennon–McCartney song catalog, in 1985.

What song rights did Michael Jackson buy? ›

And Jackson allegedly jokingly replied, “One day, I'll own your songs.” Then just two years later on August 14, 1985, Jackson purchased the publishing rights to the majority of the Beatles' catalog—some 251 songs—for $47 million, outbidding McCartney.

Warner/Chappell was required to create a $14 million pool for repayment of royalties it had collected since 1949. Like “We Shall Overcome,” the song is now in the public domain and can be used in films and performances royalty-free.

THE BIRTHDAY SONG COPYRIGHT EARNINGS

The rights were reported to bring in somewhere near $2 Million per year in licensing fees.

That's right, the song that Guinness World Records in 1998 called the most recognized in the English language is under copyright. It's owned by Warner Music Group, and for decades they have charged a license fee for the use of the song and rake in around $2 million a year in fees.