Hipgnosis signs music catalogue of Joel Little, Lorde and Taylor Swift's New Zealand songwriter/producer

Singer Lorde and songwriter Joel Little accept the Best Pop Solo Performance award for 'Royals' onstage during the 56th Grammy Awards in 2014. Photo / Getty Images

Music giant Hipgnosis Songs Fund has signed up the music catalogue of Lorde's Grammy-winning songwriter who helped produce her songs.

Songwriter and producer Joel Little is best known for his work alongside Kiwi sensation Lorde, as well as country-pop star Taylor Swift.

He co-wrote and produced Lorde's breakout song Royals, which was number one across the globe in 2013.

Joel Little and Lorde attend the 56th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California in 2014. Photo / Getty Images

Little, who is also a New Zealander, produced and co-wrote three singles on Swift's bestselling 2019 album Lover, as well as working alongside Ellie Goulding, Khalid, and Imagine Dragons.

In 2019, Little's 178-song catalogue made more than $5.8 million.

#SONG Acquisition of Music Catalogue Joel Little✅
I hold😊👍👇https://t.co/G9qIGX9SyK pic.twitter.com/eVEvn8zRX3

— Mike Ridyard (@RidyardMike) June 4, 2021

His songs have amassed more than 15-billion streams globally, making his catalogue one of the most streamed of the last decade.

It's a move Hipgnosis has been keen on for a while, calling Little an "important" player in the music industry. Industry insiders have suggested the deal is likely to be worth millions.

"Joel is one of the most important songwriters in the world today," Hipgnosis Songs Fund
founder Merck Mercuiadis said.

Mercuiadis has previously worked with Elton John, Guns N' Roses and Beyonce.

Hipgnosis Songs Fund is a Guernsey-registered music IP investment and song management company founded by Merck Mercuriadis and Nile Rodgers in 2018.

The company purchases songs or catalogues as an investment, similar to how oil or gold operates.

In addition to acquiring songs and songwriter catalogues, the company manages the playlist, cover, interpolation, and synchronisation revenues of its intellectual property.

It will take a percentage of both the writer's and publisher's share.