Who Owns The Royalties To Nirvana? The Answer Might Surprise You.

When Nirvana singer and lead songwriter Kurt Cobain died in 1994, his widow, rocker Courtney Love, inherited the majority of his estate. This included more than ninety-eight percent of the band’s publishing rights. Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, the band’s bassist and drummer respectively, received a small portion of the remaining rights.

It’s important to understand what “publishing rights” mean in this context. They represent the legal right to control how a song is used and to collect royalties from its use. These rights include things like:

Mechanical royalties: Paid to songwriters and publishers every time a song is reproduced on a physical medium like a CD or vinyl record.
Performance royalties: Collected when a song is played publicly, for example on the radio or at a concert.
Synchronization royalties: Earned when a song is used in a film, TV show, or commercial.
Digital royalties: Collected when a song is streamed or downloaded online.

Since Courtney Love inherited the majority of Kurt Cobain’s publishing rights, she receives the lion’s share of these royalties. This means that she ultimately controls how Nirvana’s music is used and profits from its use.

While Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl received a smaller percentage of the publishing rights, their role in the band’s success is still recognized. Their contributions to Nirvana’s iconic sound and the band’s overall legacy are undeniable. It’s worth noting that the royalties from Nirvana’s music continue to be a significant source of income for all three musicians, even though Kurt Cobain is no longer with us.