Britney Spears Sells Rights to Her Music Catalog

Britney Spears, queen of 2000s pop, has become the latest musician to sell the rights to her music.

Spears sold her entire catalog to publisher Primary Wave, a music and marketing company which specializes in catalog deals and is based in New York. According to an anonymous source who spoke to NBC News, the deal was worth $200 million and was finalized back on Dec. 30. While the exact details are unknown, it’s thought that the deal included artist royalties and publishing rights but not Spears’ name and likeness, which would likely be worth significantly more than the reported amount.

Primary Wave and Spears have not commented on the deal.

Spears Follows a Trend

Spears is the latest musician to make millions from selling the rights to her music. Others who have made similar deals in recent years include Bruce Springsteen, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and Justin Timberlake. On top of being lucrative, such deals also mean musicians no longer have the difficult task of overseeing their catalogs.

Spears made her debut in 1999 with …Baby One More Time, which launched her to pop superstardom. In 2005, she won her first Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording with “Toxic.” She released her ninth and final studio album, Glory, in 2016, although she has released a few songs since then, including “Hold Me Closer,” a collaboration with Elton John, and “Mind Your Business,” a collaboration with will.i.am. Spears recently said she has no intention of returning to the industry and making more music or performing in the United States ever again. Her biggest hits include “…Baby One More Time,” “Oops!… I Did It Again,” Toxic,” and “Womanizer.” She has often made headlines for her personal life, including the court-ordered end of her 13-year conservatorship in 2021. Her memoir, The Woman in Me, was published in 2023.

Primary Wave calls itself “the home of legends,” and they have the roster to prove it. They also own the catalogs of such artists as Prince, Bob Marley, Stevie Nicks, Whitney Houston, Def Leppard, and many more. The company is known for finding ways to revive the music they acquire. They also have a talent-management division, which represents a number of big-name artists.