Britney Spears Sells Rights to Her Music Catalog in Major Publishing Deal
Britney Spears has sold the rights to her music catalog, transferring her ownership stake in a body of work that helped define late-Nineties and early-2000s pop. Multiple sources have confirmed the deal, which was first reported by TMZ.
Under the agreement, Primary Wave will acquire Spears’ share of rights to her catalog, including global hits such as “…Baby One More Time,” “Oops!… I Did It Again,” “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “Lucky,” and “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman.” The transaction was reportedly finalized on Dec. 30, though financial terms have not been publicly disclosed.
According to a source cited by TMZ, the sale is comparable in scale to Justin Bieber’s 2023 agreement with Hipgnosis Songs Capital, which was widely reported to be worth approximately $200 million. Representatives for Spears and Primary Wave have not publicly commented on the valuation.
The move places Spears among a growing list of major artists who have opted to sell all or part of their publishing and recording rights in recent years. The catalog acquisition market has accelerated over the past decade, driven by the predictable revenue streams generated by streaming, licensing, and sync placements in film, television, and advertising. For artists, such deals can provide significant upfront capital while shifting the administrative burden of managing long-term rights to investment firms or publishing companies.
Primary Wave has become one of the most active players in that space. The company has acquired or partnered on catalogs tied to Whitney Houston, Bob Marley, Prince, Ric Ocasek of the Cars, and Stevie Nicks, who sold her publishing rights to the firm in 2020. In 2024, Primary Wave also purchased a 50 percent stake in the estate of The Notorious B.I.G., further expanding its portfolio of culturally significant catalogs.
Spears’ catalog remains one of the most commercially successful of the past 25 years. Her 1999 debut, …Baby One More Time, became one of the best-selling albums of all time, launching a career that has included nine studio albums, multiple global tours, and more than 100 million records sold worldwide. Her early singles, in particular, continue to generate consistent streaming numbers and remain staples of pop radio and nostalgia-driven programming.
The sale comes several years after Spears was released from her 13-year conservatorship in 2021, a legal arrangement that had placed control of her finances and personal decisions in the hands of others. Since regaining control of her estate, Spears has largely stepped back from touring and full-length releases. Her most recent studio album, Glory, was released in 2016.
While she has indicated that she does not plan to tour in the United States again, Spears has not ruled out recording new material. In 2022, she collaborated with Elton John on “Hold Me Closer,” and in 2023, she released “Mind Your Business” with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. Both tracks marked rare musical appearances following the end of her conservatorship.
Catalog sales do not prevent artists from creating new music, though they typically involve past works rather than future recordings. It remains unclear whether the agreement includes only publishing rights, master recordings, or a combination of both.
