Britney Spears, long celebrated as the 'Princess of Pop' and a defining voice of late 1990s and early 2000s music, has officially sold the rights to her entire music catalog to Primary Wave, a major independent music publisher. The landmark deal, which was finalized on December 30, 2025, marks one of the most significant catalog acquisitions in recent pop history, joining a wave of high-profile artists who have recently cashed in on their musical legacies.
Primary Wave now owns Spears’ share of her iconic hits, a catalog that includes generational anthems like “...Baby One More Time,” “Oops! ... I Did It Again,” “Toxic,” “Gimme More,” “Circus,” “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “Lucky,” “Stronger,” “If U Seek Amy,” “Break the Ice,” “Womanizer,” and many more. According to Rolling Stone, the deal encompasses nearly all of Spears’ most recognizable singles—the very songs that made her a household name and a staple on the Billboard Hot 100, where she scored five No. 1 hits and sold tens of millions of albums worldwide.
While the exact financial terms remain under wraps, multiple outlets, including TMZ—which first broke the story—report that the deal is valued at approximately $200 million, putting it on par with Justin Bieber’s catalog sale to Hipgnosis Songs Capital in 2023. Legal documents do not specify the final figure, but sources close to the transaction described it as a "landmark deal." According to The Hollywood Reporter, both Spears’ and Primary Wave’s representatives have declined to comment publicly on the precise amount or the specific rights acquired.
What exactly did Primary Wave buy? That’s a question still swirling among industry insiders. Spears is not credited as a songwriter on most of her biggest hits, meaning the most valuable portion of her rights stemmed from her recordings rather than publishing royalties. Sony Music continues to own and control the master recordings, so it’s likely Primary Wave acquired Spears’ performing artist royalties and her share of publishing rights, though the details remain confidential. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, music publishing royalties are tied to a song’s composition and lyrics, while recording royalties stem from the actual performance and production of the track.
Primary Wave, based in New York, has built a reputation as a powerhouse in the music catalog acquisition space. The company’s roster includes legendary artists such as Bob Marley, Stevie Nicks, Prince, Whitney Houston, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles, and the estates of The Notorious B.I.G. and Olivia Newton-John. In 2020, Stevie Nicks sold an 80% stake in her publishing catalog to Primary Wave, with her copyrights reportedly valued at $100 million at the time. According to Deadline, the company is not just a passive collector—it actively manages and revitalizes the catalogs it acquires, often through creative initiatives like “flip camps” where modern songwriters sample and interpolate classic tracks to create new hits. Primary Wave also produced the 2022 biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, signaling its intent to bring new life to the music it represents.
For Spears, the sale of her catalog is the latest chapter in a tumultuous yet ultimately empowering personal journey. After being released from a 13-year conservatorship in 2021—a legal arrangement that controlled nearly every aspect of her life and career—Spears has taken decisive steps to reclaim her narrative and future. She married Sam Asghari in 2022, though the couple later divorced. In 2023, she published her memoir, The Woman in Me, which became an instant bestseller, moving 1.1 million copies in its first week in the U.S. alone. Universal Pictures quickly acquired the rights to adapt the book for the big screen, with Jon M. Chu set to direct and Marc Platt producing.
Spears’ decision to sell her catalog comes at a time when many of her contemporaries are making similar moves. The list of artists who have sold their music rights in recent years reads like a who’s who of pop and rock royalty: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Shakira, KISS, Sting, Phil Collins, and, of course, Justin Bieber. For artists, such deals offer a substantial upfront payout and relieve them of the complex, time-consuming work of managing a vast music estate. As Rolling Stone points out, these transactions can be "extremely lucrative," providing both financial security and creative freedom.
Despite the sale, Spears has not stepped away from music entirely. Though she hasn’t released a studio album since 2016’s Glory, she collaborated with Elton John in 2022 on the single “Hold Me Closer” and teamed up with will.i.am for “Mind Your Business” in 2023. However, she recently announced that she would not perform in the United States again—at least for now—though she hasn’t ruled out making new music. Her Instagram presence remains as enigmatic as ever; earlier this month, Spears posted that she feels “incredibly lucky to even be alive” after her family’s treatment of her, admitting she is “scared” of her relatives. The caption was later deleted, leaving only a poignant image of an adult holding a baby’s hand.
The sale also highlights the shifting dynamics of the music industry. Catalogs of superstar artists have become hot commodities, with valuations soaring in recent years. As The New York Times notes, deals for top-tier artists like Bruce Springsteen and Sting have reached hundreds of millions of dollars, reflecting both the enduring value of classic pop and the appetite of companies like Primary Wave to invest in proven musical assets. According to Primary Wave’s website, the songs it represents include more than 1,000 Top 10 singles and over 400 No. 1 hits—a testament to its growing influence in shaping the future of popular music.
For Spears’ devoted fans, the news is bittersweet. On one hand, the sale ensures her music will be preserved, promoted, and potentially introduced to new generations through films, commercials, and creative collaborations. On the other, it marks a turning point for an artist whose life and career have been defined by both triumph and struggle. Still, there’s little doubt that Spears’ songs—now under the stewardship of Primary Wave—will continue to resonate for years to come, echoing the legacy of an artist who helped define a musical era.
With her catalog now in new hands, Britney Spears closes one chapter while the world waits to see what she’ll do next—both on and off the stage.