The songs of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon sold for astronomical sums In 2021, when investors spent $5.3 billion on acquisitions of recorded music catalogs, publishing and other royalties -- up 180% from 2020. Will these deals pay off? During a panel discussion at the 2022 Milken Institute Global Conference, music industry professionals Marc Cimino (UMPG), Sherrese Clarke Soares (HarbourView Equity Partners), Harvey Mason jr. (Recording Academy) and Scott Pascucci (Concord) explained what’s driving Wall street’s interest in songs as assets. The talk, titled “Drop the Mic: The Business of Music,” was moderated by Variety executive editor Shirley Halperin.