8 Musicians Who Sold Their Music Catalog and Won Big

Lately, it's become commonplace to see musicians who sold their music catalog. For many musicians, their music catalog is a source of pride and a legacy they want to leave behind. However, for some, selling their catalog can be a strategic move that ensures financial stability or allows them to focus on new creative ventures. In recent years, we've seen a number of high-profile musicians sell the rights to their music catalogs for millions of dollars. Let's take a closer look at some of these deals.

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In 2022, rapper Future sold a majority of his song catalog to Influence Media Partners for a reported $75 million. The deal included hits like "Mask Off" and "Life Is Good," and gave Influence control over the publishing rights and royalties for Future's music. The deal includes his entire catalog from 2004 to 2020, which as fans know, is jam-packed with hits.

In 2021, Lindsey Buckingham sold the rights to his music catalog to Hipgnosis Songs Fund for a reported $100 million. The deal included hits like "Go Your Own Way" and "Tusk," and gave Hipgnosis control over the publishing rights and royalties for Buckingham's music. Buckingham said in a statement that he was happy to be working with Hipgnosis, and that he believed the company would help him to reach new audiences and create new opportunities for his music. The deal includes 161 tracks, and legendary ones at that.

In 2021, The Killers sold the rights to their music catalog to Eldridge Industries for an undisclosed amount. The deal included hits like "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me," and gave Eldridge control over the publishing rights and royalties for The Killers' music. The band said in a statement that they were excited to be partnering with Eldridge, and that they believed the company would help them expand their reach.

In 2021, Imagine Dragons sold their music catalog to Concord Music Publishing for a reported $100 million. The deal included hits like "Radioactive" and "Demons," and gave Concord control over the publishing rights and royalties for Imagine Dragons' music. The band said in a statement that they were happy to be working with Concord, and that they believed the company would help them reach new audiences.

Also in 2021, Shakira sold the rights to her music catalog to the British investment firm Hipgnosis Songs Fund for an undisclosed amount. The deal included hits like "Hips Don't Lie" and "Whenever, Wherever," and gave Hipgnosis control over the publishing rights and royalties for Shakira's music. Shakira said in a statement that she was excited to be partnering with Hipgnosis, and that she believed they would be good stewards of her music.

At the start of 2021, Neil Young sold 50% of his music catalog to Hipgnosis Songs Fund for a reported $150 million. The deal included classics like "Heart of Gold" and "Rockin' in the Free World," and gave Hipgnosis control over the publishing rights and royalties for Young's music. Young said in a statement that he was happy to be working with Hipgnosis, and that he believed they were the best company to handle his catalog. Take a second to think about this deal: Neil Young still retains 50% ownership, and somehow landed $150M for the other half. Pretty impressive, to say the least.

In 2020, Stevie Nicks sold an 80% stake in her songwriting catalog to music publisher Primary Wave for a reported $100 million. The deal included hits like "Landslide" and "Edge of Seventeen," and gave Primary Wave control over the licensing and royalties for Nicks' music. Nicks said in a statement that she was excited to be working with Primary Wave and that she trusted them to handle her music with care. This was another prime example of one of the best type of catalog deals - where the artist retains some kind of ownership, standing to benefit from the future marketing being done on the catalog by the new owners. That 20% will only become more and more valuable.

In December 2020, Bob Dylan made headlines when he sold his entire catalog of over 600 songs to Universal Music Publishing Group for $300 million. The deal included classics like "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Like a Rolling Stone," and was seen as a major move in the music industry. Dylan said in a statement that he was happy to be working with Universal, and that he looked forward to seeing his songs reach new audiences.