David Bowie's entire music catalogue sold for £185 million
The rights to his music are now owned by Warner Chappell Music
Last updated 4th Jan 2022
David Bowie's estate has sold the publishing rights to his entire music catalogue to Warner Chappell Music.
Although an exact figure of the sale hasn't been announced, it is estimated to be upwards of £185m ($250m).
The catalogue includes songs from David Bowie's 26 studio albums as well as the posthumous album Toy. The two studio albums from David's time in the rock group Tin Machine, as well as songs released as singles from other projects, are included in the deal.
Guy Moot, the CEO and Co-Chair of Warner Chappell Music made a statement about the deal: "All of us... are immensely proud that the David Bowie estate has chosen us to be the caretakers of one of the most groundbreaking, influential, and enduring catalogues in music history".
"These are not only extraordinary songs, but milestones that have changed the course of modern music forever."
Lawyer Allen Grubman, a representative of the David Bowie estate commented: "We are truly gratified that David Bowie's body of music will now be in the capable hands of Warner Chappell Music Publishing. We are sure they will cherish it and take care of it with the greatest level of dignity."
Several other artists have also made the decision to sell the rights to their music in recent years, including Bruce Springsteen who sold his music to Sony for a staggering £376m in December 2021.
The decision to sell typically comes from the immediate financial gain, and the security it provides compared to intellectual property rights. The groups who buy the rights benefit as they can license the music for film, TV, merchandise and earn performance royalties.
Bob Dylan sold his music catalogue - which includes over 600 songs - to Universal Music Group. Although an exact figure hasn't been disclosed, it is widely reported that the sale was for around £226 million.
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