Stevie Nicks Sells a Share of Her Publishing Rights for $100 Million

[Jondalar]

Stevie Nicks Sells a Share of Her Publishing Rights for $100 Million

Nicks joins a number of major artists who’ve sold their catalog rights to investors and talent management companies this year

Ethan Millman December 4, 2020 11:49AM ET
Stevie Nicks has sold a majority of her publishing catalog to publisher and talent management company Primary Wave, the company announced Friday, with the Fleetwood Mac star becoming one of the highest-profile artists to capitalize on the booming song publishing acquisition market to date.

Primary Wave didn’t share financial details of the sale, but The Wall Street Journal reported that Nicks sold an 80% stake in the catalog, valuing the deal at about $100 million. The deal includes several of Nicks’s biggest hits as a solo artist and member of Fleetwood Mac including “Landslide,” “Edge of Seventeen” and “Dreams,” the last of which returned the charts for the first time in 40 years after resurfacing on TikTok.

Primary Wave has previously purchased stakes in several prominent artist catalogs like Disturbed and Ray Charles.

“To say we’re excited to welcome the incredible Stevie Nicks to the Primary Wave family would be a dramatic understatement,” Primary Wave’s founder and CEO Larry Mestel said in a statement. “If Primary Wave were starting our company today, Stevie Nicks would be one of the shining pillars, a true legend among legends. She is a groundbreaking artist, and the longevity of her iconic career comes from writing songs, instantly recognizable and critically acclaimed, that stand the test of time.”

Along with the catalog purchase, Primary Wave also has access to Nicks’s name and likeness, and has established a partnership with the singer to allow her to sign new songwriters in a joint venture.

The songwriting acquisition game has grown exponentially in recent years, with companies like Primary Wave and Merck Mercuriadis’s Hipgnosis Songs Fund buying up catalogs at significantly higher multiples than the previous norm. Sources familiar with these deals have said they’ve seen purchases for as high as 30 times a catalog’s value.

These companies are taking hefty bets that they can make money by acquiring a smaller but selective catalog collection they can leverage through tv, movie and video game synch licensing as well as other copyright opportunities like merchandising.

As Mercuriadis, who recently acquired catalogs from artists like Jack Antonoff and Richie Sambora, previously told Rolling Stone: “We have 21, 22 people with 500 songs per person, versus the majors who have 20,000 per person. I want to actively manage these songs with the same responsibility that I manage artists. I hate the concept of publishing, I want to destroy that word and replace it with song management.”

Some insiders, however, expect the market could taper off under Joe Biden’s presidency, depending on what he does with capital gains legislation. Those taxes had been much lower under the Trump administration, providing more incentive for artists to sell their catalogs to face less taxes after the purchase. But these song-hungry companies won’t be going away — and in any case, may just have to pay even more to artists to keep their deals enticing.

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/new...-wave-1098850/

[BombaySapphire3]

Well new album sales are a bust and she may never be able to mount another huge cash grab tour to equal all the past ones so a girl has to do something to keep herself in the style to which she has become accustomed.

[ryan4136]

She literally has nobody to leave this money too when she kicks the bucket. Why sell?

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by ryan4136

She literally has nobody to leave this money too when she kicks the bucket. Why sell?

She believes that she will live another 30 years..She wants to continue to live a fabulous rock star life .It was predictable.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

She believes that she will live another 30 years..She wants to continue to live a fabulous rock star life .It was predictable.

$he really does think that.

$he's nuttier than a squirrel turd.

[David]

Some insiders, however, expect the market could taper off under Joe Biden’s presidency, depending on what he does with capital gains legislation. Those taxes had been much lower under the Trump administration, providing more incentive for artists to sell their catalogs to face less taxes after the purchase.

Typical Hollywood. Rail against the economic policies of 15 percent capital gains rates — and then scramble to take advantage of them before they’re a thing of the past.

But does this deal mean that computer games and TV commercials are going to use Stevie’s songs a lot more now? What does this deal actually do? It’s not entirely clear. And Stevie’s image?! Now belongs to someone else? This is weirder than Rappaccini’s Daughter, or Fräulein von Scuderi.

[Storms123]

I look forward to hearing "Edge of Seventeen" while some pharmaceutical company is peddling a drug to combat hot flashes

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Storms123

I look forward to hearing "Edge of Seventeen" while some pharmaceutical company is peddling a drug to combat hot flashes

They'll overdub it, Edge Of Seventy Five!

When you used to be hip, but now just need a new hip!

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by David

Typical Hollywood. Rail against the economic policies of 15 percent capital gains rates — and then scramble to take advantage of them before they’re a thing of the past.

But does this deal mean that computer games and TV commercials are going to use Stevie’s songs a lot more now? What does this deal actually do? It’s not entirely clear. And Stevie’s image?! Now belongs to someone else? This is weirder than Rappaccini’s Daughter, or Fräulein von Scuderi.

Yes, this was even more shocking. You look at people like Elvis whose estate makes more money now off his image and music than when he was alive. Same for Michael Jackson, and surely will be the case for Prince as well.

has there been a falling out within the family, where she doesn't trust possible heirs (Her brother, her niece, the niece's husband?) to properly and respectfully manage her likeness?? Who at the company who bought this gave her assurances that her face wouldn't appear on godknowswhat products? And really, how long will that person realistically be in charge of the company she sold her image to? Those people come and go like cramps, and further they can turn around and sell your music and image to yet another investment fund.

Kind of ironic when you look at the lengths a younger artist like Taylor Swift is going to to get rights to her own music and image back from an ex-manager and ex-label who don't care much about them. Would Howard have encouraged her to do this deal?? The managers, lawyers etc who broker these deals get a healthy fee based on sale price. Who's zooming who?

[BombaySapphire3]

I will be looking forward to purchasing some Stevie Nix pubic lice shampoo with her smiling image swatting away a crab on the bottle.

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

I will be looking forward to purchasing some Stevie Nix pubic lice shampoo with her smiling image swatting away a crab on the bottle.

Reminds me of Carrie Fisher's joke about having (unwittingly) sold rights to her likeness to George Lucas as part of the first Star Wars movie... and then seeing herself as a shampoo bottle where the top was her head that you screwed off to use the shampoo, or as a Pez dispenser where you tilted her head back and the Pez candy came out of her neck. She further joked that every time she looked in the mirror she had to pay Lucas a dollar in royalties.

[Storms123]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

Reminds me of Carrie Fisher's joke about having (unwittingly) sold rights to her likeness to George Lucas as part of the first Star Wars movie... and then seeing herself as a shampoo bottle where the top was her head that you screwed off to use the shampoo, or as a Pez dispenser where you tilted her head back and the Pez candy came out of her neck. She further joked that every time she looked in the mirror she had to pay Lucas a dollar in royalties.

The timing is interesting---just in time for the holidays---Get your Stevie Nicks Boxer shorts--the perfect Stocking Stuffer

[Storms123]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

Yes, this was even more shocking. You look at people like Elvis whose estate makes more money now off his image and music than when he was alive. Same for Michael Jackson, and surely will be the case for Prince as well.

has there been a falling out within the family, where she doesn't trust possible heirs (Her brother, her niece, the niece's husband?) to properly and respectfully manage her likeness?? Who at the company who bought this gave her assurances that her face wouldn't appear on godknowswhat products? And really, how long will that person realistically be in charge of the company she sold her image to? Those people come and go like cramps, and further they can turn around and sell your music and image to yet another investment fund.

Kind of ironic when you look at the lengths a younger artist like Taylor Swift is going to to get rights to her own music and image back from an ex-manager and ex-label who don't care much about them. Would Howard have encouraged her to do this deal?? The managers, lawyers etc who broker these deals get a healthy fee based on sale price. Who's zooming who?

I am not sure what her brother has done but sell t-shirts at FM and SN concerts, so you can't fault her for wrestling possible control from him. And if Mick got his paws on her likeness, there would likely be a joint venture with the makers of Trojan or something completely off kilter like that. But I agree, the lengths to which Taylor Swift is going to get her rights back, and even what you've seen Elvis' and Sinatra's estates do to preserve the integrity of their likeness and being, it's an odd move. Perhaps she really doesn't have anyone in her inner circle she trusts this too....and she gets another $100mm in the bank. No need for another cash grab tour now. Mick is FREAKING OUT

[mitzo]

Didn't Christine sell her songs off years ago?

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

I will be looking forward to purchasing some Stevie Nix pubic lice shampoo with her smiling image swatting away a crab on the bottle.

Omg, I'll order a case! I mean, I don't have crabs, but I will decorate my house accordingly.

$tevie Nits Crab House. Pardon the smell. Nit picking is allowed.