Pink Floyd’s legacy hits the jackpot with a $400 million sale to Sony

Pink Floyd cashed from Sony $400 million for the rights to their recorded music, name, and likeness. David Gilmour looks relieved somewhere. The long-term agreement was confirmed by Digital Music News and Financial Times. Anticipate a rise in the frequency of Pink Floyd songs appearing in games, movies, TV series, and other media due to licensing agreements. One of the last well-known classic rock acts to sell out was Pink Floyd, which came after several failed attempts to reconcile long-time rivals Gilmour and Waters. The tax structure of the agreement was allegedly one cause of contention. Hipgnosis, BMG, and Warner Music were reportedly among the bidders.

To be rid of the decision-making and the arguments that are involved with keeping it going is my dream. If things were different … and I am not interested in that from a financial standpoint. I’m only interested in it from getting out of the mud bath that it has been for quite a while. David Gilmour

Following the passing of Syd Barrett and subsequently, Richard Wright, Nick Mason is the only other surviving original core band member. Since then, Mason has formed a side project called Saucerful of Secrets, which plays mostly Pink Floyd‘s early songs. Sony and Pink Floyd have not formally announced the new arrangement. In an interview with the Financial Times, Gilmour likewise declined to comment, but he has subsequently sidestepped more inquiries concerning his strained friendship with Waters. Although Pink Floyd‘s recorded rights are supposedly included in this arrangement, not the songwriting rights, Sony may have paid more. Sony has demonstrated its ability to step it up by paying more than $1 billion for the rights to the Queen catalogue.

Do you know what decade of my life I was in when Roger left our pop group? My 30s. I am now 78. Where’s the relevance? David Gilmour