Sia catalog sale: Huge $180M deal eyes exciting avatar show
The Sia catalog sale is official: Pophouse Entertainment, the Swedish investment firm co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, announced Thursday, Oct. 1, that it has bought half of the Australian singer-songwriter’s publishing and master recording rights. The price, first reported by TMZ on Sept. 30 from court papers in Sia’s divorce, is $180 million, Variety reported.
The deal brings one of pop’s most-streamed writers into a Pophouse stable that, according to Variety, already holds catalogs from Iron Maiden, Tina Turner, Kiss, Cyndi Lauper, Avicii and Swedish House Mafia.
How the $180 million Sia catalog sale breaks down
Sia’s divorce from Dan Bernad shapes how the money from the Sia catalog sale is split, according to the legal documents TMZ obtained. Songs Sia wrote before the marriage, a group that includes “Chandelier,” “Titanium” and “Cheap Thrills,” account for $165 million. Bernad agreed to give up any claim to that money in return for a $1 million payment.
The other $15 million covers songs written while the couple was married. That sum will sit in escrow until Sia and Bernad settle terms. The two were married for less than three years before Sia filed for divorce in March 2025, TMZ reported.
Pophouse is buying only publishing and master rights. Sia’s name and likeness are not part of the deal, Rolling Stone reported, citing a source familiar with it. An insider told the magazine her songs earn an estimated $18 million a year in writing and performance royalties. The transaction is still subject to customary closing conditions, according to Music Business Worldwide.
Why Sia’s songs are worth so much
Sia broke through internationally in 2004 with “Breathe,” a song made famous by the final episode of HBO’s “Six Feet Under.” Since then she has collected nine Grammy nominations and a run of solo hits, from “Chandelier” to “Elastic Heart” and “Unstoppable.” She also scored with “Thunderclouds” in 2018 as part of LSD, her trio with Diplo and Labrinth, and has writing credits on Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts,” per Variety.
The streaming numbers help explain the Sia catalog sale price. Rolling Stone counts her David Guetta collaboration “Titanium” at 2.4 billion Spotify streams, with “Unstoppable,” “Chandelier,” “Cheap Thrills” and “Dusk Till Dawn” with Zayn each past 2 billion.
“I’m really excited to be working with Pophouse,” Sia said in the announcement. “These songs mean so much to me, and I love that they really understand that and want to take care of them.”
Pophouse CEO Jessica Koravos called Sia “an artist whose extraordinary catalogue and unique creative identity offer exceptional opportunities to celebrate and build on her remarkable body of work.” Fund partner Shahriar Shokofan said the firm wants “to unlock new audiences around the world.”
An ABBA Voyage-style avatar show is in the works
The bigger plan behind the Sia catalog sale is a digital avatar production built around Sia’s music, Rolling Stone reported. A source told the magazine the show would draw on her vocals, including songs she wrote for other stars such as “Diamonds,” and could tour select cities. The source said the project is in early planning and at least a couple of years from opening.
That is the Pophouse playbook. The firm is a founding investor in ABBA Voyage, the London residency starring digital “ABBAtars” that opened in 2022. It bought the Kiss catalog and brand in 2024 and plans to launch a Kiss Forever avatar show in Las Vegas in 2028, according to Rolling Stone.
Sia is Pophouse’s third big artist deal of 2026, Music Business Worldwide noted. In March, the firm became majority owner of Tina Turner’s music interests alongside BMG, and in July it bought a stake in Iron Maiden’s rights. ABBA’s own songs still travel, too: the group topped a Billboard dance chart in January for the first time in nearly 46 years.
What’s next for the Sia catalog sale
The escrowed $15 million will stay frozen until Sia and Bernad agree on the songs from their marriage, according to TMZ. Neither Pophouse nor Sia has announced a date for the avatar production.
Who controls an artist’s music has been a running story this year, from the Sia catalog sale to Ed Sheeran’s exit from Warner Music. For more on the business of pop, follow our music news coverage.