David Bowie's estate strikes new album catalogue deal with Warner Music

The estate of David Bowie has agreed a new deal with Warner Music Group that will see the company overseeing his full back catalogue of albums.

Warner Music previously held the worldwide rights to the music that was released by the late artist between 1968 and 1999 (up to his October 1999 album ‘hours…’) after they acquired the Parlophone Label Group in 2013.

This new licensing agreement with Bowie’s estate now means that Warner Music also has the rights to the artist’s back catalogue of music between 2000 and 2016, the year of his death.

The Bowie albums ‘Heathen’, ‘Reality’, ‘The Next Day’ and ‘★’ (AKA ‘Blackstar’) are among the works that will come into the Warner Music fold in 2023. They were originally released via Sony Music.

Only Bowie’s pre-1968 recordings – including his eponymous 1967 album and a string of singles – and a small number of stray tracks will not be housed under the Warner Music umbrella going forward.

A press release announcing the new deal today (September 16) has also confirmed that the fifth instalment in the Bowie ‘Era’ box set series, ‘Brilliant Adventure (1992 – 2001)’, will be released in the autumn.

“It’s an incredible honour to have been chosen as the stewards of one of the most important and dynamic bodies of creative work in modern culture,” Max Lousada, CEO of Recorded Music at Warner Music Group, said in a statement.

“The impact of Bowie’s repeated reinvention and endless experimentation continues to resonate around the world – through the genres he transformed, the timeless songs and sounds he invented, and the immeasurable influence he’s had on music, art, and fashion.

“We’re excited that our expanded partnership with the Bowie estate will help us deliver innovative, career-spanning projects and attract new generations to his extraordinary musical universe.”

Bowie was among the artists who featured on a recently reissued series of compilation albums from War Child.