CTM Outlander acquires the publishing catalog of Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Shane McAnally.
CTM Outlander has made a significant move in the Nashville music publishing scene, having acquired the publishing catalog of Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Shane McAnally, alongside other works from SMACKSongs’ Matt McGinn, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, and Trevor Rosen.
The deal also includes elements of McAnally’s royalties from his catalog of more than 200 master recordings as a producer, plus an exclusive four-year go-forward co-publishing deal, inclusive of non-dramatic rights to certain songs featured in the 9X Tony-nominated Broadway musical Shucked.
As part of the new agreement, McAnally’s publishing companies SMACKSongs and SMACKBlue — including works by Walker Hayes, Kylie Morgan, Josh Jenkins, and many more — will be administered on a global basis by CTM Outlander.
CTM Outlander is a partnership between Dallas-based Outlander Capital, led by Les Ware and Mike McKool, and the Dutch-based leading independent music entertainment company CTM, led by industry veteran André de Raaff. Since its launch two years ago, CTM Outlander has signaled its ambition to invest over a billion U.S. dollars in acquiring music publishing and master rights with notable moves. Among them are the acquisition of TEN Music’s publishing assets in 2021 and the catalogs of Natalie Hemby, Ben Burgess, and Michael Tyler in 2022.
McAnally has a well-secured place among Nashville’s elite, with over 50 No. 1 songs and two Songwriter of the Year awards by the Academy of Country Music under his belt. In 2022, he also became the most-nominated songwriter in Country Music Association history.
His work includes songs recorded by Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Halsey, Sam Hunt, the Jonas Brothers, Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Old Dominion, Reba, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, George Strait, Keith Urban, and Morgan Wallen, among many more. McAnally’s work as a producer includes artists like Kelsea Ballerini, Kelly Clarkson, Walker Hayes, Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Carly Pearce.
“I am very excited to start this new partnership built on a mutual passion for all things music, along with the global reach of this incredible team,” says McAnally. “André is a visionary and understands the importance of managing music rights, as he has shown over the course of his career.”
“As I continue to expand my creative work to new areas, André and his team recognize the passion I have, not just for creating music in the traditional sense, but also in areas of film, TV, Broadway, and beyond. I am thankful to the CTM Outlander team for partnering with me to manage my catalog copyrights and am eager to see what we are able to accomplish together over the next several years.”
“It is very rare to come across such a talented and gifted songwriter, producer, and creator of music entertainment like Shane McAnally,” adds CTM Outlander CEO André de Raaff. “His successes are countless, from pop to country and from musical theatre to developing TV shows. It is a privilege to look after a great part of his legacy and to work with him and the rest of the SMACK team in the future on all the new projects ahead, which we expect to become more successful than ever.”
“We believe in Nashville’s creative community and are proud to help amplify the stories that are a byproduct of an environment that cultivates ingenuity,” concludes Outlander Capital Principal Mike McKool. “With CTM Outlander’s integration across multiple disciplines, it’s exciting to see the integrity of these catalogs preserved and amplified while also providing this security to the writers.”