Garth Brooks may be considering one of the largest music catalog sales ever tied to an individual artist.
The country superstar is exploring a possible sale of his music catalog for up to about $2 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Reuters. The potential transaction would reportedly include both his songwriting rights and recorded music rights.
No sale has been announced. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report, and Brooks did not immediately respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
The Reported Deal Would Include Songs and Recordings
According to Reuters, the Wall Street Journal reported that Brooks has discussed valuations ranging from $1 billion to more than $2 billion with potential investors. The report did not identify those investors.
If a sale happens, the buyer would be acquiring more than publishing rights. The reported package would include Brooks’ songwriting rights and recorded music rights, which would make the deal much broader than a sale of song copyrights alone.
That detail is central because Brooks has kept unusually tight control over how his catalog is sold, streamed, and packaged for decades.
Brooks’ Sales Record Drives the Price
The Recording Industry Association of America lists Brooks at 200 million certified album units in the U.S., ahead of the Beatles at 183 million, according to Reuters.
That number gives the reported talks their biggest business hook. Catalog buyers are looking at a body of work tied to decades of album sales, country radio play, physical formats, touring power, and fan loyalty.
Reuters also noted Brooks’ major honors, including the Kennedy Center Honor and the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize.
His Streaming Choices Make the Catalog Unusual
Brooks has never handled digital music like most major artists.
In 2016, Amazon Music announced that Brooks’ music would stream exclusively on its platform. The announcement called it the first time Brooks’ music was available for on-demand streaming.
The same Amazon announcement said Brooks’ studio albums and compilation albums were also available for digital purchase on Amazon Music.
That history makes any possible sale more interesting. A buyer would be looking at a catalog with enormous U.S. sales history, but also one that has not been spread across Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms in the same way as many major catalogs.
The Hits Are Country Radio Staples
Brooks’ catalog includes “Friends in Low Places,” “The Dance,” “The River,” “The Thunder Rolls,” “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Shameless,” and other songs that helped define country music’s mainstream boom in the 1990s.
Those songs are part of the reported value. They are tied to country radio, awards history, touring demand, physical sales, and a listener base that has followed Brooks even when his music was not widely available on the dominant streaming services.
No Buyer Has Been Named
Reuters reported that Sony Music has been an active buyer of music rights, including Bruce Springsteen’s catalog in a deal Billboard said was worth $500 million. Reuters also noted that Sony was reported in 2024 to have bought Queen’s catalog in a deal valued around £1 billion.
The Brooks report does not say Sony is the buyer, and it does not name any investor. It only says Brooks has explored valuations with potential investors.
For now, the careful version is narrow: Brooks is reportedly considering a sale of his catalog for up to about $2 billion, the possible deal would include both songwriting and recorded music rights, and no completed sale has been announced.