How Do You Value Music Catalogs in 2026?
About this episode
The episode discusses the evolving methods of valuing music catalogs in 2026 with insights from industry experts.
How do you actually put a price on a music catalog in 2026? In this panel from our recent Grow the TAM event, Billboard's Elizabeth Dilts Marshall sits down with three experts who each value catalogs from a completely different angle. Rob Frech of Raine Group has advised on catalog and M&A deals for Warner Music Group, Quality Control, and Downtown. Tom Sarig spent decades managing artists like Lou Reed and Bryan Ferry before launching Antifragile Equity Partners to acquire mid tier music catalogs. And Monica Corton of Go to Eleven Entertainment works with songwriters, artists, and producers across publishing, marketing, and royalty management, helping them maximize the value of their catalogs. The conversation covers who is actually buying music catalogs right now, why active catalog management might matter more than the multiple you pay, how sync licensing drives real catalog growth, what tools like Disco and Luminate are doing to modernize catalog data and rights management, and how AI licensing and name, image, and likeness rights are starting to change what these assets are worth. If you work in music publishing, catalog acquisition, artist management, or music finance…
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- 8 Ways to Grow the Value of Music in 2026
- Every Object Can Sound: How Playtronica is Reimagining Music Creation
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