Country star Miranda Lambert has sold her entire music catalog to Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Domain Capital Group, the companies announced. The exact terms were not disclosed; industry observers estimate large deals of this type often reach the high eight figures.
The catalog includes hit songs such as “The House That Built Me.” Domain Capital’s managing director said adding Lambert’s work “reflects our continued focus on investing in timeless songs and the writers who create them.”
Jem Aswad, executive editor for music at Variety, told The Daily Report the deal is significant less for the amount than for the buyer and the artist’s genre. In recent years there have been many headline-making catalog sales—rock and pop catalogs have commanded huge sums—but few comparable deals have involved country artists. Aswad suggested this could signal more big country catalog transactions ahead.
Aswad explained why artists sell catalogs now: many choose to capitalize when offers top market value; buyers often prefer catalogs that have stood the test of time (some firms decline works under 25 years old). Another major motive is estate planning—music rights are complex and require active exploitation (pitching for placements in commercials, film, TV); selling simplifies inheritance by converting a fluctuating, management-intensive asset into cash.
He also noted that catalog sales can be structured in many ways: recorded-music rights (master recordings), publishing/songwriting rights, name-and-likeness and artwork can be split or retained. It’s not clear which rights Lambert sold; in many deals artists retain some interest or agree to 50/50 arrangements where the acquirer handles exploitation while the artist or family keeps a share.
Domain Capital Group and Sony Music Publishing Nashville will control the catalog’s publishing exploitation going forward, with the acquirers responsible for licensing and pitching songs. The deal underscores continuing investor appetite for song catalogs and highlights growing attention to country catalogs in the broader music-rights marketplace.
