Britney Spears is currently trending in music, years after her most recent song release. The singer is currently making national headlines for selling off her iconic music catalog.
Britney Spears Sells off Music Catalog
TMZ broke the news that Britney Spears sold off the rights to her extensive music catalog on Tuesday, February 10. According to legal documents, Spears sold her ownership share of her catalog to music publisher Primary Wave.
It has not been revealed how much the music publisher paid Spears for her music catalog. TMZ’s sources explained that the agreement was a “landmark deal.” Apparently, when Justin Bieber sold his music, he received a $200-million deal.
According to the documents, Spears, who is currently managed by Cade Hudson, signed the document to sell her music on December 30. TMZ sources claim that Spears “is happy with the sale and has been celebrating by spending time with her kids.”
This extensive music catalog is said to include hits “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” “…Baby One More Time,” “Break The Ice,” “Circus,” “Don’t Let Me Be The Last to Know,” “Everytime,” “Gimme More,” “Hold it Against Me,” “I Wanna Go,” and “If You Seek Amy.” The catalog also includes “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” “Lucky,” “My Prerogative,” “Oops!… I Did it Again,” “Overprotected,” “Piece of Me,” “Sometimes,” “Stronger,” “Till The World Ends,” “Toxic,” “Womanizer,” and more.
What Does This Mean?
Spears is among the singers that have sold their music catalogs in the past few years. Other singers who have also sold their music catalogs are Justin Bieber, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Shakira, KISS, Sting, Phil Collins, and Stevie Nicks.
Selling off a music catalog means singers receive a large upfront payment while the buyer gets the right to collect streaming, radio play, and sales from royalties; license the songs for movies, tv, ads, and video games; profit from the future earnings of songs in the catalog.
There’s a few reasons why singers/musicians would sell off their music catalog. Common reasons include guaranteed money instead of waiting for royalties, estate planning, tax advantages, reducing financial risk, and/or they’re retiring from music or shifting careers.
After the sale is finalized, the artist may no longer control how songs are used (dependent on the deal itself). The new owner may approve licensing deals, and the artist may or may not perform the songs live (dependent on the deal itself).
Words by:
Corey Cesare Corey Cesare is Talent Recap's Managing Editor and featured YouTube Host. She has a love of all things pop culture and an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. She spends her spare time shooting astro, nature, and portrait photography, and coming up with movie ideas that she hopes to make into a film someday.
