David Crosby sold his music catalog for the new venture Iconic Artists Group by the famous music executive Irving Azoff. The singer and songwriter closed the deal for an undisclosed amount. It includes recorded music and publishing rights for its entire catalog, including his solo work, his work with the Byrds, Crosby & Nash, CSN and CSNY. “Given our current inability to work live, this business is a blessing to me and my family and I believe these are the best people to do that,” he said in a press release.
“I know David as a friend and I admire him as a great artist since our early days at Geffen Roberts Management, right after I moved to Los Angeles,” wrote Azoff in a statement. “This is an incredible time to be involved with David and his huge music catalog. He is truly one of the most prolific composers and artists in music and I am honored that he made Iconic the guardian of his timeless musical legacy. “
In December 2020, David Crosby commented on the recent wave of high profile music catalog purchases taking place across the industry, stating that he was also looking to sell his recording and publishing rights in light of how COVID-19 and streaming have reduced your earning capacity. “I’m selling mine too … I can’t work … and streaming stole my record money,” he tweeted on December 7th. He after passed on: “If we could get paid for records and play live, we wouldn’t be doing that. None of us.”
Read Pitchfork’s “What to Know About Music’s Copyright Gold Rush”.