Pop singer Britney Spears has sold the rights to her entire music catalogue to the independent music publisher Primary Wave in a deal reported to be worth about $200 million (£146 million).
The transaction was completed on December 30, according to reports confirmed by the BBC. Neither Spears nor Primary Wave publicly disclosed the final price or full terms of the agreement. Representatives for both parties declined to comment.
Spears, 44, is one of the best-selling female recording artists in history, with more than 150 million records sold worldwide. Her catalogue includes nine studio albums released since her debut in 1999, featuring songs such as “…Baby One More Time,” “Oops!… I Did It Again,” “Toxic,” and “Gimme More.”
In January 2024, Spears announced she would “never return to the music industry.” Her most recent release was a duet with Elton John in 2022.
Industry analysts note that Spears did not write most of her major hits, meaning she did not own the publishing rights to many of her songs. The reported sale is believed to involve her recorded-music rights rather than songwriting publishing rights. If accurate, this would affect the overall valuation compared with artists who own both publishing and master recordings.
Primary Wave was founded in 2006 by music executive Lawrence Mestel. The company has previously acquired or managed rights associated with the estates of Prince, Whitney Houston, and The Notorious B.I.G. It also purchased 50 percent of Kurt Cobain’s share of the Nirvana catalogue in its early years.
Spears’ decision comes amid a wider trend of established artists selling their music assets. In 2021, Bruce Springsteen sold his catalogue to Sony for approximately $500 million. In 2023, Justin Bieber agreed to a reported $200 million deal with Hipgnosis Songs Capital. Artists such as Justin Timberlake and Shakira have also completed catalogue sales in recent years.
Spears ended a 13-year conservatorship in November 2021, which had placed control of her financial and personal affairs under her father, Jamie Spears. In 2023, she published a memoir titled The Woman in Me, detailing her experiences during that period.
Financial experts say catalogue sales provide artists with immediate lump-sum payments in exchange for future royalty income. Such deals can offer long-term financial certainty but transfer control over licensing and future earnings to the buyer.
The precise structure of Spears’ agreement with Primary Wave has not been made public.
