Warner Chappell Music has bought David Bowie's collection, continuing a recent run of high-profile music rights agreements.

The terms of the deal were not made public, but press sources put the worth at more than $250 million. Catalog costs have risen as a result of the rise of streaming as an economic driver, as well as the expanding range of content into which music can be incorporated. Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and the estate of James Brown, among others, have recently signed deals.

This arrangement follows one negotiated between the Bowie estate and Warner Music Group (parent company of Warner Chappell) last year. Warner Music has licensed worldwide rights to Bowie's recorded music repertoire from 1968 as part of the 2021 contract.

The deal covers Bowie's complete collection of work, which he died of liver cancer in 2016. "Space Oddity," "Changes," "Ziggy Stardust," "Starman," "Rebel Rebel," "Fame," "Young Americans," "Golden Years," "Heroes," "Ashes to Ashes," "Modern Love," and "Let's Dance" are among the songs included in the deal, which also covers the 26 studio albums released during Bowie's lifetime as well as the posthumous studio album Toy. Bowie's two studio albums with Tin Machine, as well as tunes released as singles from soundtracks and other projects, are included in the collection.

Bowie had taken moves in the latter stages of his career to gain more control over his library. In 1997, he signed a 15-year deal with EMI Music, but he also established "Bowie bonds," which are securities based on his future revenues. The $55 million bond auction enabled Bowie to purchase a portion of his back catalog that had been claimed by his previous management.

“All of us at Warner Chappell are immensely proud that the David Bowie estate has chosen us to be the caretakers of one of the most groundbreaking, influential, and enduring catalogs in music history,” said Guy Moot, WCM Co-Chair and CEO. “These are not only extraordinary songs, but milestones that have changed the course of modern music forever. Bowie’s vision and creative genius drove him to push the envelope, lyrically and musically – writing songs that challenged convention, changed the conversation, and have become part of the canon of global culture.”