Slipknot Catalog Reportedly Selling to HarbourView for $120M

A live performance from Slipknot. Photo Credit: Raph_PH

Is Slipknot’s catalog worth in the ballpark of $120 million? HarbourView Equity Partners reportedly believes so and is said to be closing in on a deal for the metal band’s song rights.

That’s according to a new report from Billboard as opposed to a disclosure from HarbourView or Slipknot, neither of which has publicly addressed the subject. But as many know, eager investors are still firing off music IP purchases – and teeing up massive tranches for additional plays yet.

To be sure, it was only in May that HarbourView scooped up “select catalog assets” from Rodney Jerkins, while June saw the entity pull down $500 million in debt financing.

(One little-discussed byproduct of the ongoing catalog boom: Some are opting to put out announcements via non-industry outlets, with core music-trade coverage poised, at least in theory, to follow. Per a paywall-protected piece run by Buyouts Insider in late July, HarbourView has actually racked up $630 million for its music royalties fund.)

In short, HarbourView and the wider catalog space aren’t lacking interest or capital. Back to the possible Slipknot agreement, then, what jumps out most (besides the hefty price tag) is that just a portion of the act’s members are said to be participating.

Though concrete details are few and far between here, Billboard, citing anonymous and purportedly well-informed sources, emphasized that “not all band members are selling.”

As things stand, Shawn Crahan is the sole remaining original member of Slipknot, which currently has seven other members and nearly 10 former members.

Stated differently, there are several personnel components to consider regarding the reported deal, which is said to be either nearly completed or officially signed. (Of course, logic suggests the latter development would promptly produce a formal announcement, especially in light of the investment’s size.)

In any event, the rumored transaction reportedly extends to the publishing catalog and recorded income stream of Slipknot, which has released seven studio albums to date. (Warner Music, itself eyeing more song-rights buyouts, owns the masters via Roadrunner.) And the deal wouldn’t include futures, the mentioned outlet indicated.

To underscore the obvious, it’s best to wait until the outlined sale closes before drawing conclusions. At the top level, however, it’s safe to say that the mountain of existing IP investments isn’t contributing to a catalog cooldown.

On top of the Slipknot sale rumblings, Universal Music co-owned Chord Music Partners last week scored a reported $500 million investment from Searchlight Capital Partners. The major bought KKR’s Chord stake in 2024; KKR then provided HarbourView’s aforementioned half-billion-dollar debt financing.