Is Garth Brooks Next? $2B Catalog Sale is on the Table

Photo Credit: Garth Brooks by Glenn Francis / CC by 4.0

Garth Brooks is reportedly exploring his options for the sale of his extensive music catalog in a deal that could be worth a whopping $2 billion.

On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that country music star Garth Brooks is looking into selling his vast music catalog, with valuations ranging from $1 billion to over $2 billion. While potential investors haven’t been publicly identified, Sony Music has been a major player in the music rights space. The company acquired Bruce Springsteen’s body of work for $500 million in 2021, and was closing in on a deal for Queen’s catalog to the tune of over $1 billion in 2024.

Garth Brooks has enjoyed an unparalleled career, having sold a staggering 200 million albums in the United States alone and surpassing The Beatles’ 183 million, per the RIAA. Should he secure a deal for the sale of his work, it would certainly command a price among the largest recorded—for an individual or group’s catalog.

Interestingly, for such a juggernaut in the world of album sales, Brooks has staunchly refused to license his music to any streaming platform besides Amazon Music. He inked an exclusive partnership with the company in 2016, which he attributes to Amazon’s dominance as a retailer.

“You can sign your streaming deal, but part of that streaming deal is to move those physical units so the songwriters get paid,” Brooks said in 2023. “I stick up for the songwriters because I’m freakin’ one of them! Everything I do for the songwriters, I do for myself.”

Any potential catalog sale would also undoubtedly want to explore the expansion of access to his music via more streaming platforms, and that might not sit too well with either Brooks or Amazon. It should be interesting to see how this one shakes out.

Garth Brooks released his self-titled debut album in 1989 and secured a #1 single on the Hot Country Songs chart with “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” But his breakthrough success came with his second album, 1990’s No Fences, which included his signature track “Friends in Low Places,” as well as “The Dance” and “The River.”

The artist’s accolades include 22 Academy of Country Music Awards, two Grammy Awards, the Kennedy Center Honor, and the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize.