Monday, January 3, 2022

David Bowie estate sells music catalog for $250 million

David Bowie’s estate has sold the publishing rights to the late rocker’s extensive music catalog for a reported $250 million.

The landmark deal sees Warner Chappell Music (WCM) – the publishing division of Warner Music Group – acquire the global rights to Bowie’s entire body of work, encompassing hundreds of songs spanning the iconic artist and songwriter’s six-decade career, including trailblazers such as “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” “Ziggy Stardust,” “Starman,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Fame,” “Young Americans,” “Golden Years,” “Heroes,” “Ashes to Ashes,” “Modern Love,” “Let’s Dance,” and many more.

Although no official financial details were released by the parties involved, the agreement comprises songs from the 26 David Bowie studio albums released during his lifetime, as well as the posthumous studio album release, “Toy”; it also includes the two studio albums from Tin Machine, along with tracks released as singles from soundtracks and other projects.

This agreement with WCM follows the announcement last year of a global, career-spanning agreement between Warner Music Group (WMG) and the Bowie estate through which Warner Music has licensed worldwide rights to Bowie’s recorded music catalog from 1968. With this new deal with Warner Chappell, WMG is now home to Bowie’s body of work as both a songwriter and recording artist.

“This fantastic pact with the David Bowie estate opens up a universe of opportunities to take his extraordinary music into dynamic new places,” explains WCM Co-Chair and COO Carianne Marshall. “This isn’t merely a catalog, but a living, breathing collection of timeless songs that are as powerful and resonant today as they were when they were first written.”

The sale of Bowie’s catalog follows news of a number of similar deals with major artists recently, including Bruce Springsteen, ZZ Top, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham and Motley Crue, among others.

Bowie estate recently launched a number of events to mark the singer’s 75th birthday on January 8.

See also:

David Bowie marks Hunky Dory 50th anniversary with Changes 2021 remix
David Bowie debuts latest Brilliant Adventure package on UK charts
David Bowie revisits Black Tie White Noise in Brilliant Adventure box set preview
David Bowie revisits Outside album in Brilliant Adventure box set preview
Search David Bowie at hennemusic