Deftones Sell Most of Their Music Rights to Warner
Following a year of explosive streaming growth and a chart-topping comeback, alternative metal legends Deftones have reportedly finalized a deal to sell the majority of their music rights to Warner Music Group (WMG).
Following a year of explosive streaming growth and a chart-topping comeback, alternative metal legends Deftones have reportedly finalized a deal to sell the majority of their music rights to Warner Music Group (WMG).
According to a new report from Billboard, the transaction marks a significant consolidation of the band’s legacy assets. While the deal was only made public this week, sources indicate the agreement was actually reached quietly within the last two years.
Terms of the Agreement
The deal is comprehensive, covering a broad spectrum of the band's intellectual property. The package reportedly includes:
Master-Recording Royalties
Co-Publishing Stakes
Writer Royalties
Interestingly, WMG already held the rights to the band's master recordings prior to this transaction. This new agreement effectively transfers the band's remaining financial shares and publishing interests to the label, granting Warner significantly more control over the licensing and long-term revenue of the catalog.
Valuation and Market Impact
While the official sale price remains undisclosed, Billboard estimates the deal's value to be between $41 million and $75 million. This valuation is based on a "mid-to-high-double-digit multiple" of the catalog's annual net income.
The sale comes at a peak in "Deftones Mania." Fueled by massive virality on TikTok and the success of their 2025 album Private Music, the band has seen their classic hits like "Change (In the House of Flies)" and "Cherry Waves" reach a new generation of listeners, significantly inflating the value of their back catalog.
A Lone Holdout
In a notable twist, the sale was not unanimous across the entire group. Reports indicate that one member of the band—who has not been officially named—opted to retain his publishing stake and will continue to receive his share of master-recording royalties independently.
The rest of the group joins a growing list of heavy hitters, including Slipknot and KISS, who have recently cashed in on their catalogs to secure their financial legacies.
According to a new report from Billboard, the transaction marks a significant consolidation of the band’s legacy assets. While the deal was only made public this week, sources indicate the agreement was actually reached quietly within the last two years.
Terms of the Agreement
The deal is comprehensive, covering a broad spectrum of the band's intellectual property. The package reportedly includes:
Master-Recording Royalties
Co-Publishing Stakes
Writer Royalties
Interestingly, WMG already held the rights to the band's master recordings prior to this transaction. This new agreement effectively transfers the band's remaining financial shares and publishing interests to the label, granting Warner significantly more control over the licensing and long-term revenue of the catalog.
Valuation and Market Impact
While the official sale price remains undisclosed, Billboard estimates the deal's value to be between $41 million and $75 million. This valuation is based on a "mid-to-high-double-digit multiple" of the catalog's annual net income.
The sale comes at a peak in "Deftones Mania." Fueled by massive virality on TikTok and the success of their 2025 album Private Music, the band has seen their classic hits like "Change (In the House of Flies)" and "Cherry Waves" reach a new generation of listeners, significantly inflating the value of their back catalog.
A Lone Holdout
In a notable twist, the sale was not unanimous across the entire group. Reports indicate that one member of the band—who has not been officially named—opted to retain his publishing stake and will continue to receive his share of master-recording royalties independently.
The rest of the group joins a growing list of heavy hitters, including Slipknot and KISS, who have recently cashed in on their catalogs to secure their financial legacies.