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Britney Spears is stronger than yesterday after reportedly selling her entire music catalog to the tune of $200 million.
The “Piece of Me” singer parted ways with the rights to her songs in a multi-million dollar deal with music publisher Primary Wave, a source revealed to NBC.
Spears, 44, released her debut studio album “… Baby One More Time” in 1999, a catalog which included a number of hit records and spawned her first headlining tour.
Avi Dahan, founder of Dahan Law Group, told Fox News Digital that the sale doesn’t automatically indicate financial issues for the pop star, who was released from her decade-long conservatorship in 2021 and has since described the negative impact the court order had on her life.
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Britney Spears performs on stage at the MTV VMAs (Scott Gries/ImageDirect via Getty Images)
“In many cases, it’s a strategic move, especially right now, because we’re in a hot catalog market where institutional money and Wall Street have gotten much more comfortable treating music like an asset class,” Dahan said.
“Investors like music because streaming has made revenue more predictable than it used to be, and that demand has pushed valuations up.”
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Dahan recognized the “major tax component” associated with Spears’ music sale, which included the iconic hits, “Toxic,” “Gimme More,” “Circus,” and “Overprotected.”
Britney Spears’ released her debut album, “… Baby One More Time,” in 1999. (Steve Jennings/WireImage)
“In the right structure, an artist may be able to treat the sale as a capital transaction and potentially qualify for long-term capital gains treatment, rather than ordinary income on royalties over time,” Dahan said.
“So for some artists, selling is about locking in value at a strong multiple while also potentially improving the tax outcome.”
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Primary Wave already has a name in the industry and owns the estates of Prince and The Notorious B.I.G. in addition to music from Stevie Nicks, according to its website.
Bradfield Biggers of Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP noted how domestic and international private equity have taken an interest in the music rights space.
Spears’ music catalog includes nine studio albums. (Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
“Valuations and multiples have been trending upward, and now may just be the first time she and her advisors feel the market is willing to properly value her work,” Biggers told Fox News Digital.
“Selling your catalog can also be an emotional experience, as someone else has significant financial and legal connection to your art, so this may purely be the first time she’s been approached by a buyer that she believes will carry and do right by her legacy.”
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In November 2021, Britney Spears was freed from the controversial conservatorship her father, Jamie Spears, controlled for more than 13 years.
Jamie Spears became Britney’s conservator in 2008 following multiple involuntary psychiatric holds. (Chris Farina)
Following two involuntary psychiatric holds in 2008, Jamie was granted a temporary conservatorship over his daughter. At the end of the year, the court order became permanent, and Jamie was appointed conservator with attorney Andrew Wallet named as co-conservator.
The court order successfully ended on Nov. 12, 2021, but an outstanding dispute over Jamie’s request for Spears to pay his legal fees ended in 2024. Details surrounding the case were not made public.
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While addressing the court when her conservatorship ended, Spears said, “I just want my life back. All I want is to own my money and for my boyfriend to be able to drive me in his car. I want to sue my family.”
Spears dated Sam Asghari for five years before he proposed. The former couple married on June 9, 2022 at her home in Thousand Oaks, California, with Paris Hilton, Madonna and Selena Gomez in attendance at the star-studded nuptials.
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari married in June 2022 after dating for more than five years. ( J. Merritt)
He filed for divorce on Aug. 16, 2023, citing irreconcilable differences. Documents noted it was “impossible for the parties to live together as husband and wife.” Their divorce was finalized in May 2024.