Deftones Sells Music Copyright to Warner Music Group Worth Rp1.1 Trillion

JAKARTA - California-based metal band Deftones has officially joined the ranks of top musicians who have released their intellectual assets after selling most of their music publishing rights and master recording royalties to Warner Music Group (WMG).

According to Billboard's report, this transaction involves four of the five band members, while the other one chooses to keep control of his own part.

Although the details of the completion time of the contract were not disclosed specifically to the public, it is estimated that the value of the deal is in the fantastic range, ranging from 40 million to 75 million US dollars, or equivalent to Rp. 630 billion to Rp. 1.1 trillion.

This strategic move actually strengthens the long-standing partnership that has been established, considering that WMG previously had the original master recordings of the entire Deftones discography, while the Warner Chappell division acted as its publisher.

With this new deal, Warner now has full control over the majority of the royalties from the band's music catalog, known for the song "Change (In the House of Flies)".

This trend of catalog sales has previously been carried out by music legends such as Bruce Springsteen who raked in 500 million US dollars, as well as Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks who took similar steps to secure their asset value amid the uncertainty of the global streaming industry.

This deal comes amid the momentum of Deftones' revival after successfully releasing their 10th studio album, "Private Music", last summer. The success of this album proves that Deftones' bargaining power in the global music market remains high even though they have been in the business for three decades.

Vocalist Chino Moreno on one occasion had revealed how emotional evolution has influenced their works so far.

"Deftones' music has always had a vulnerable side. My confidence to pour feelings into a love song has now grown much bigger than in the past," Moreno said, quoted by Billboard, Sunday, February 1.

In addition to strengthening their financial position through the sale of copyrights, Deftones are scheduled to continue to greet fans on the international stage throughout 2026. They will start a series of arena tours in the UK and Europe, including a major performance at the O2 Arena in London this February.

The journey will continue to Australia and New Zealand with Interpol in May, before finally topping the All Points East festival in London.