Who Wrote I Will Always Love You
The song I Will Always Love You was written by Dolly Parton, who originally recorded and released it in 1974 as a country ballad. She later sold the rights to allow Whitney Houston to record a version for The Bodyguard soundtrack, which became a global hit. https://www.forbes.com/sites/entertainment/2023/11/14/dolly-parton-i-will-always-love-you-whitney-houston/
Dolly Parton retained the songwriting credits and continued to earn royalties from the track long after Whitney Houston's version topped charts worldwide. The song has been covered and sampled by other artists, generating additional licensing income for Parton and her publishers. https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/title/i-will-always-love-you
Royalties and Revenue Streams
Streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music generate ongoing performance royalties each time I Will Always Love You is played, with payments routed to the songwriter, publishers, and rights holders. https://www.royaltyexchange.com/marketplace/i-will-always-love-you
Physical sales, digital downloads, and synchronization licenses for films, commercials, and TV broadcasts add further revenue layers. The Bodyguard soundtrack album remains one of the best-selling soundtracks in history, contributing to sustained royalty flows for the writer and associated labels. https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Whitney+Houston&ti=The+Bodyguard
Copyright and Ownership Structure
Dolly Parton owns the underlying songwriting copyright, while master recording rights for the Whitney Houston version are held by Arista Records and its successors, now part of Sony Music Entertainment. https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000320193&type=10-K&dateb=&owner=include&count=40
Publishing rights are often administered by companies such as Sony Music Publishing or independent entities that collect royalties globally and distribute them according to contractual splits between the writer and co-publishers. https://www.sonymusicpub.com/