Bruce Springsteen Sells Masters & Publishing To Sony In Deal Reportedly Worth $500M

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Bob Woodruff Foundation

Bruce Springsteen Sells Masters & Publishing To Sony In Deal Reportedly Worth $500M

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Bob Woodruff Foundation

Bruce Springsteen has reportedly sold his masters and publishing catalog in a combined deal to Sony for $500 million, according to Billboard. Springsteen joins a list of veteran rockers who’ve recently sold their publishing rights, such as Bob Dylan (who sold his publishing rights to Universal for an estimated sum of $400 million in December 2020), Paul Simon, Stevie Nicks ($100 million), Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Shakira, Jimmy Iovine, and David Crosby.

As for Springsteen, the Boss has been with Sony’s Columbia Records since the start of his decades-long career, and had been given ownership of his earlier albums. The trend is likely due to the pandemic; over the past couple of years, a number of high-profile artists have been cut off from their main source of income — touring — and have moved to sell the rights to their publishing.

“Given our current inability to work live,” Crosby said about selling his songs to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group of his songs, adding that it allowed him to pay off his house. “This deal is a blessing for me and my family.”

As Rolling Stone points out, Springsteen might’ve been incentivized to sell because interest rates are at historic lows, and numerous artists want to personally oversee these sales before their families have to deal with it. Anyway, good for Springsteen. Get that retirement fund!

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