Round Hill Music

A live performance from Kiss. Photo Credit: Dustin Gaffke

Round Hill has closed two more catalog deals, one involving the work of Kiss songwriter Vini Poncia, the other centering on Modern English’s “I Melt with You.”

New York-headquartered Round Hill formally announced those plays today, about two months after proclaiming that it’d reentered “acquisition mode.” In keeping with the disclosure, the IP-investment firm has specifically purchased “the publishing rights to Poncia’s entire catalog of songs.”

Just in passing, the “Love Is a Fire” songwriter Poncia has credits on several Ringo Starr albums, Kiss efforts including “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” and Leo Sayer-recorded “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.”

“I’m very excited my songs have found a new home at Round Hill Music,” said 83-year-old Poncia. “Big thanks to [Round Hill head] Josh Gruss, my attorney Henry Root at Counsel LLP, and [manager] Peter Kalish and [guitarist] Marc Ferrari without whom this deal never would have happened.”

Meanwhile, Round Hill CEO Josh Gruss touted the perceived long-term commercial potential of the works – noting as well the forthcoming Kiss avatar band.

“Finding success through a variety of different platforms, including streaming, film and TV, these songs have shown their ability not just to maintain their enduring popularity, but to find new fans even long after their release,” he said.

“With Kiss returning to the stage in hologram form in 2027, we’re seeing how such iconic artists can continue their legacy and marketability well into the future,” proceeded Gruss, whose company in March opened a brick-and-mortar store.

Shifting to the Modern English agreement, the buyer has secured “both the publishing and the master rights of ‘I Melt with You.’” Round Hill confirmed to DMN that the deal extends solely to the 1982 release, which has been synced in Glee and more.

“This acquisition is particularly meaningful for me on a personal level since Modern English was the very first concert I attended when I was nine years old,” Gruss added. “That experience helped spark a lifelong love of music and to now be entrusted with stewarding their catalog is a full-circle moment.”

On the year, investors have disclosed roughly two dozen IP purchases, a number extending to multiple catalogs, DMN Pro’s Music IP Acquisition Tracker shows. July alone has delivered about one-third of the transactions.

Furthermore, different sales are apparently continuing to wrap without public announcements. And despite the sub-sector’s mountain of deals and massive valuations, huge song-rights funds are still setting sail.