Artists are selling the rights to their music in droves nowadays. A majority of people aren’t buying albums the way that you used to back in the day. Streaming doesn’t properly pay out. There’s only so much money you can make in touring and merch, especially as you get older. So what do you do with the catalog you build over the years? Lately, the trend has been to amass your catalog and sell it for a big lump sum.
Iron Maiden is the latest to cash in on their illustrious legacy, selling half the rights to everything related to the band. In a report from Billboard, Swedish investment group Pophouse Entertainment acquired 50% of Iron Maiden’s publishing and master rights. Additionally, they have a stake in their name, image, and likeness.
The London-bred band sold 100 million records across 17 studio albums, making for one of the most illustrious catalogs in music. Pophouse CEO Jessica Koravos expressed a desire to continue Iron Maiden’s legacy, as she does with KISS, Cyndi Lauper, and Tina Turner. “We are 50-50 partners with the band, and the plan is that we’re going to work together turbocharging Maiden’s plans for the future,” she shared.
Iron Maiden Sells Half of The Band to a Swedish Entertainment Company
“With Pophouse, we’re always thinking around the visual identity,” Koravos added. “There’s lots of world-building that’s possible both in [Maiden’s] artwork, but also in the storytelling within the songs. The heavy metal genre, especially with the addition of Eddie, lends itself to a treatment potentially in the world of horror.”
Currently, the plan is to work with Iron Maiden on a film centered around their Run For Your Lives World Tour. Moreover, they intend to pursue different creative avenues centered around the band’s mascot, Eddie, who plays a vital role in their image.
Band manager Rod Smallwood is particularly amped to have a company invested in pushing the Iron Maiden brand and likeness into the future. “I am very excited about our relationship with Pophouse and the ability we now have to pursue, facilitate, and finance our many plans and dreams quicker than we ever hoped,” Smallwood said in a statement. “The interest in the band has never been bigger and [with] this strategic partnership … the fans can be assured there is a great deal more to come for Maiden, and Eddie will rule, OK!!”