Pink Floyd sells music and likeness rights to Sony for $400 million

Lauren Taylor

AFTER YEARS OF DRAMA AND A WHOLE OF BACKSTAGE BICKERING, BRITISH ROCK BAND PINK FLLOYD ISFINALLY CASHING IN!

THE BAND HAS OFFICIALLY STRUCK A DEAL TO SELL THEIR RECORDED-MUSIC AND NAME-AND-LIKENESS RIGHTS TO SONY MUSIC IN DEAL REPORTEDLY WORTH 400-MILLION-DOLLARS..

SONY NOW CONTROLS THE BAND’S RECORDINGS, BRAND, AND MERCHANDISE RIGHTS, THOUGH THE SONGWRITING REMAINS WITH INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

THE SALE INCLUDES ALBUMS LIKE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON AND THE WALL, ADDING TO SONY’S GROWING CATALOG OF LEGENDARY ARTISTS.

THE SALE MARKS ONE OF THE LARGEST MUSIC CATALOG DEALS IN RECENT YEARS, 

DESPITE DECADES OF TENSION BETWEEN KEY BAND MEMBERS ROGER WATERS AND DAVID GILMOUR, ALONG WITH DRUMMER NICK MASON AND THE ESTATES OF KEYBOARDIST RICHARD WRIGHT AND FOUND MEMBER SYD BARRETT.

THE PATH WASN’T EASY.

WATERS’ CONTROVERSIAL POLITICAL STATEMENTS CAUSED DELAYS AND SCARED OFF BUYERS IN THE PAST.

HE’S BEEN OUTSPOKEN ABOUT ISRAEL, UKRAINE, AND RUSSIA.

WITH THIS AGREEMENT, SONY TAKES OVER ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE MUSIC CATALOGS. 

WHILE THE BAND AND SONY HAVE STAYED QUIET, THE DEAL WAS CONFIRMED BY MULTIPLE SOURCES. 

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, OTHER HIGH-PROFILE ARTISTS INCLUDING BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, BOB DYLAN, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SHAKIRA, THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS AND OTHERS HAVE SOLD THEIR MUSIC CATALOGS – SOME FOR AS MUCH AS NINE FIGURE SUMS.

SIMONE DEL ROASIO HAS A LIST YOU CAN FIND ON OUR WEBSITE…STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM

I’M LAUREN TAYLOR