<\/p>\n
Britney Spears scored the early 2000s with hits from \u201cOops!… I Did It Again\u201d to \u201cToxic.\u201d <\/p>\n
Now, the rights to those songs will belong to music publishing company Primary Wave after Spears reportedly signed a major new deal, according to NBC News<\/a>. The outlet approximated the deal was for $200 million, and details of the sale were not disclosed. <\/p>\n Primary Wave, which was founded 20 years ago<\/a> with the acquisition of 50% interest and partnership in Kurt Cobain\u2019s music publishing catalog, also owns songs from the catalogs of music legends Bob Marley, Stevie Nicks and Whitney Houston, among others. <\/p>\n Representatives for Primary Wave and Spears did not immediately respond to The Times\u2019 requests for comment. <\/p>\n Music rights acquisitions have become increasingly popular investments in recent years as the recorded music industry has boomed with the advent of streaming. With access to sprawling libraries on Spotify and Apple Music, consumers are listening to albums and artist catalogs at higher rates, and older artists are more prone to popping back into the zeitgeist. Licensing for movies and TV is also booming, and with Y2K nostalgia permeating today\u2019s media, Spears may be selling at an opportune time. <\/p>\n Trade publication Music Business Worldwide estimated that more than $5 billion changed hands through music rights acquisitions in 2021, The Times previously reported<\/a>. Additionally, songwriting catalogs at that time were being valued at twice the average price than in the 25 years prior. <\/p>\n Notable sellers include Bruce Springsteen, who in 2021 made a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to relinquish his master recordings and songs for $500 million<\/a>. Shortly thereafter, David Bowie\u2018s estate sold his songwriting catalog to Warner Chappell Music for $250 million. ZZ Top, Tina Turner and Paul Simon all made similar deals around the same time. <\/p>\n Spears in 2023 released her memoir, \u201cThe Woman in Me,\u201d which recounted her rise to fame and yearslong battle to escape a conservatorship she was placed under in 2008 for alleged mental health concerns. Music writer Jeff Weiss\u2019 2025 book, \u201cWaiting for Britney Spears: A True Story, Allegedly,\u201d<\/a> included details \u2014 some true, some fabricated \u2014 from that highly publicized time in the singer\u2019s life. <\/p>\n