[2] In addition to acquiring songs and songwriter catalogues, the company manages the playlist, cover, interpolation, and synchronization revenues of its IP.

[13][14] Hipgnosis Songs Fund was founded by Merck Mercuriadis, who has managed artists including Elton John, Iron Maiden, Morrissey, Beyoncé, and Nile Rodgers.

[17] The Family (Music) Limited, an advisory board which included Mercuriadis, Rodgers, Starrah, The-Dream, David A. Stewart, Nick Jarjour, Bill Leibowitz, and Ian Montone was established in 2018.

[18] Hipgnosis Songs Fund went public in July 2018; an earlier plan to float the company in the UK had been postponed to conduct further due diligence.

(The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey's "Closer", "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson, "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, "Girls Like You", and "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber).

[6] In November 2019 the company was admitted to the London Stock Exchange Premium Segment of the Official List on the completion of four equity fundraises since its launch in June 2018.

[33][34] On 2 July 2020, to fund new investments to build a "pipeline of catalogs with an acquisition value of over £1bn," Hipgnosis announced that it planned to raise an additional £200 million through issuing a new tranche of class C shares.

On July 7, following the release of its FY2020 annual report—which disclosed that Hipgnosis had generated £65.661 million in revenue during its 2020 fiscal year—the company's market capitalisation hit an all-time high of nearly £1 billion.

[41] Later that month Hipgnosis announced that it would issue a new tranche of ordinary shares to raise £190 million, saying that the capital would be used to acquire 50 catalogues that it had identified and exclusively secured.

The acquired catalogues had been owned by Kobalt Capital's first fund, including Nettwerk, 50 Cent, Skrillex, The B-52s, Enrique Iglesias, and Steve Winwood.

[52] In May 2021, Hipgnosis acquired the song catalogue of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (for its publishing business MoeBeToBlame Music) for a reported $140-$150 million.

[59] In May 2022, Hipgnosis acquired 100% of the Justin Timberlake catalog, including the copyright, ownership, and financial interests of the writer's and publisher's share of public performance income.

[63] In October 2023, Hipgnosis Songs Group CEO Kenny MacPherson was placed on leave due to a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and battery by a former colleague, stemming from his time at Chrysalis Music.

[67][68] Some investors criticised the proposed deal as it involved selling nearly a fifth of the portfolio to Hipgnosis Songs Capital, also managed by Mercuriadis, "at a considerable discount".

[69] In response to a ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board, the quarterly dividend was also cancelled on 16 October 2023, causing a further fall in the share price.

[70][71] Subsequently, Hipgnosis Songs Fund confirmed that Mercuriadis has an option to buy all of its rights if his investment advisory company is terminated.

[72] At a series of general meetings on 26 October 2023, shareholders voted to reject the proposed disposals and to remove the chairman, Andrew Sutch, immediately.