Universal to sell $200m of music catalogues Universal Music is selling three of its music publishing catalogues in a deal valued at up to $200m that will help to maintain Vivendi's cherished triple-B credit rating as the music company pushes through its planned $1.9bn purchase of EMI. Universal, which is owned by Vivendi, is auctioning its classical music publishing catalogue, which includes works by Puccini and Verdi, as well as Brentwood Benson, its Christian gospel publishing catalogue, according to people familiar with the plans. Koch, its German schlager music publishing catalogue, is also for sale, they said. Universal declined to comment. The assets, which contain up to 200,000 copyrights and are non-core to Universal, will be coveted by music publishers looking to build scale in advance of Sony's proposed acquisition of EMI's music publishing business. The process is being run by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. It has attracted interest from about 12 parties, including US and European private equity firms, and BMG Rights Management, the music publishing joint venture between Bertelsmann of Germany and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, the private equity group. Imagem Music, which is owned by Dutch pension fund ABP, is likely to be interested. The information memorandum is being sent out this week. Universal, home to Lady Gaga, will also sell a number of property holdings in France, Ireland, Brazil, Germany, Portugal and the Czech Republic over the next few months. The record company faces an extended probe into its planned bid for EMI's recorded music business, after a preliminary investigation by the European Commission concluded the deal could raise competition concerns in both the CD and digital music markets. Universal is already the largest global recorded music company by revenues. An enlarged Universal could create a duopoly with Sony Music Entertainment that controls 60 per cent of the global market, leaving Warner Music and independent labels such as XL Recordings, Adele's UK label, far behind. The music publishing catalogue sales will have no impact on Universal's market share in recorded music and therefore will not affect its regulatory risk. Vivendi has agreed to pay Citigroup, EMI's current owner, even if the deal is blocked. Universal is arguing that the music industry's decline in the digital age proves that old notions of market power or collective dominance are irrelevant and that past deals have had no effect on pricing or the diversity of music available. Vivendi announced last November that Universal would make €500m worth of non-core asset sales to help fund the EMI deal and smooth its path past regulators.