Britney Spears sells full music catalogue to Primary Wave for $200 million

Pop superstar Britney Spears, aged 44, has sold the rights to her entire music catalogue to the independent music publisher Primary Wave for an estimated $200 million (£146 million). The sale, finalized on 30 December, includes Spears’ nine studio albums and hits such as ‘…Baby One More Time’, ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’, ‘Toxic’, and ‘Gimme More’. This move comes after a period of personal and professional challenges, including a 13-year conservatorship that controlled her finances and personal life until 2021. Spears has publicly stated in January 2024 that she has no intention of returning to the music industry. Primary Wave, founded by Lawrence Mestel, has also previously acquired rights to the estates of legendary artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Prince, and Whitney Houston. The exact financial details of Spears’ catalogue deal have not been disclosed. This transaction is part of a broader trend where high-profile artists like Bruce Springsteen, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, and Shakira have sold their music rights for large sums. Spears, one of the best-selling female artists of all time with over 150 million records sold globally, recently published her memoir ‘The Woman in Me’ in 2023, detailing her life under conservatorship. Her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, also released a memoir in late 2025.