DEFTONES Sells Majority Of Their Catalog To Warner Music Group

Alternative metal icons Deftones have reportedly cashed in on their catalog, according to a new report from Billboard, signaling one of the more significant rock catalog deals in recent years.

Citing unnamed sources, Billboard claims the California band were seeking a “mid- to high-double-digit multiple” for the rights to key portions of their catalog, with Warner Music Group ultimately closing the deal. As the publication explains:

“That multiple refers to how many times net label share and net publisher’s share (a.k.a. gross profit) can be divided into the valuation price. While publishing deals usually carry a higher multiple than master-recording royalties, that gap has been narrowing in recent years.

“Today, music assets generally trade — depending on the catalog’s heritage and the rights involved — in a 12- to 18-times-multiple range, though superstar artists and songwriters have been known to achieve above 20-times multiples.”

According to Billboard‘s reporting, the sale includes master-recording royalties, co-publishing interests, and writer’s royalties. Due to Deftones‘ long-standing relationship with Warner, the label already owned the band’s master recordings, while their publishing had also remained in-house via Warner Chappell.

Notably, Billboard adds that one member of the band chose to retain their share of both publishing and master-recording royalties, while the majority of the group opted to sell. The deal is said to have been finalized within the last two years, though the exact timing has not been publicly disclosed.

The reported sale comes amid a massive resurgence in Deftones‘ cultural and commercial profile. Over the past several years, the band’s catalog has experienced a viral renaissance fueled by TikTok, introducing Deftones to a new generation of listeners and dramatically expanding their audience.

That renewed interest has propelled the band to arena-headliner status and driven consistent chart returns for their back catalog. Last July, multiple Deftones releases were newly certified gold and platinum in the United States. As recently as December, the band’s 1997 sophomore album Around The Fur surged to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart, underscoring the sustained momentum.