When you’ve got multiple hits under your belt like American pop icon Britney Spears, managing your music catalogue can be a hassle. Recently, the star reportedly sold the rights to her entire music catalogue, ushering in a new beginning in her career. Here’s what the deal means to the star, her fans and the music industry:
What Did Britney Spears Sell & How Much Did She Get?
According to reports, Britney sold the rights to her entire music catalogue to Primary Wave, an independent music publisher. This deal includes rights to hit songs like “…Baby One More Time” and “Toxic”. It’s unclear how much the singer sold her rights for, but reports suggest it’s around USD200 million (approximately RM785 million).
Who Bought Her Music Catalogue?
On its website, Primary Wave describes itself as “the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world”. The company was founded in 2006 after founder Lawrence Mestel acquired 50% of Kurt Cobain’s portion of Nirvana’s catalogue. Primary Wave has also acquired rights to the estates of Whitney Houston, Prince and The Notorious B.I.G.
Why Would Britney Sell Her Catalogue?
Most stars sell their catalogue to receive a significant payout or relieve themselves of overseeing their music themselves. Since Britney previously stated her decision to retire from making new music, selling her catalogue allows another party to take over the responsibility of managing her extensive estate.
How Does This Affect The Fans?
Generally speaking, Britney’s move to sell the rights to her music catalogue would have little effect on her loyal fanbase. In fact, there may be some benefits as fans could likely hear her music promoted in other media, including movies and television shows. There are also possibilities that the company would re-release her albums.
Who Else Have Sold Their Catalogue?
As previously mentioned, Primary Wave owns the rights to the estates of Whitney Houston, Prince and more. However, many active singers have also recently sold their music catalogues, including Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and Shakira. However, these acquisitions often only include a portion of the rights.
Source: BBC, Rolling Stones, Primary Wave
