Ziggy Golddust! David Bowie’s estate considers selling singer’s back catalogue for estimated £150million

  • Bowie could be in the same boat as Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks when their catalogues are sold.
  • Songs like Ashes to Ashes or Life On Mars are high-value assets
  • In just weeks, Bowie could have the deal done on his output from 1967. 










One of his classic songs is called The Man Who Sold The World – and now David Bowie’s estate is considering selling his songwriting catalogue for a reported sum of £150million.

Talks are said to be underway for a deal which would include the rights of songs such as Life On Mars, Ashes To Ashes, and others.

According to the Financial Times the potential deal could be announced within the next weeks. It would span decades of a career that began back in 1967.

Bowie's early career including a steady string of hits

The singer's long career featured music which transcended genre

Bowie’s career spanned the years 1967 to 2016 and he had a steady stream if hits throughout.

Works from the Brixton singer's 50-year career will be available to the company which buys his back catalogue

The company that purchases his back catalogue will have the opportunity to access works from the 50-year-old career of the Brixton singer.

Bowie's works would be sold to a private company who would own the rights to license the songs for film and TV usage

Bowie’s music would be sold to a private firm, which would have the rights to license the songs to TV and film usage 

Bowie’s catalogue is predicted to continue to generate revenue for years because the music is streamed, played on the radio and used in films and advertisements.

Songwriting collections of popular musicians have become high-value assets, with Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks all having sold their catalogues for nine-figure sums in the past year.

It is unknown which firms are bidding on Bowie.

Bowie's eclectic fashion taste and ability to push boundaries made him an icon in music

Bowie’s eclectic fashion tastes and ability to push boundaries made them an icon in music.

The deal comes after Bowie's second wife Iman signed a long-term licensing deal with Warner Music last month

The deal comes after Bowie and Iman, his second wife, signed a long-term licensing agreement with Warner Music last month

Bowie died of cancer in 2016 but not before releasing a final album titled Lazarus which he produced when facing his own mortality

Bowie, who died from cancer in 2016, did not release his final album Lazarus, which he recorded when he was facing his own death.

Hipgnosis Songs Fund in the UK is however keen to invest into work by classic songwriters.

Last year it spent £720million buying 84 catalogues.

Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis, 58, said: ‘Great, proven songs have predictable, reliable income. It is better than gold or oil.’

Following a long-term licensing arrangement between his estate, which was left behind to his second wife Iman and his two children, and Warner Music last week, a deal would be made for Bowie’s rights.

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