BMG has acquired publishing interests in the catalog of Jet, the Melbourne rock band behind Are You Gonna Be My Girl, in a deal announced on May 13, 2026. The financial terms were not disclosed.
What changes hands
The publishing interests come from three of the band's four original members: frontman and co-founder Nic Cester, Cam Muncey and Mark Wilson. The deal builds on BMG's 2023 purchase of Jet's recordings catalog, which means the company now controls the masters together with a large share of the songwriting behind them. BMG says it plans to use its sync licensing strength and international reach to keep the songs in front of new audiences.
The catalog
Jet formed in Melbourne in the late 1990s and released three studio albums, selling more than 6.5 million records worldwide.
- Are You Gonna Be My Girl: No. 1 in the 2003 triple j Hottest 100, and the soundtrack of a 2004 Apple iPod ad.
- Rollover DJ: No. 19 in the same Hottest 100 poll.
- Get Born (2003): the debut album, certified 9x Platinum in Australia and Platinum in the UK and US.
- Shine On (2006) and Shaka Rock (2009): the band's second and third albums.
In 2004 the band won six of its seven ARIA Award nominations, including Album of the Year, and took Best Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. Jet entered the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2023 and still tours internationally.
Why it matters
This is a textbook example of the strategy BMG is using across its catalog: buy the recordings first, then add the publishing so both sides of each song sit with one owner. That makes licensing faster and simpler, which is especially valuable for a song with a proven advertising track record like Are You Gonna Be My Girl. BMG spent EUR 358 million ($405M) on acquisitions in 2025 and more than $1.5 billion since it launched its Boost investment program in 2021.
For rightsholders, the deal shows that selling in stages is possible. An artist who has already sold masters can later find a natural buyer for the publishing, often the same company, which may value the combined asset more than an outside bidder would.