How Long Does It Take to Sell a Music Catalog? (2026)

Timeline depends less on hype and more on readiness. Most independent sellers can move quickly when rights, metadata, and statements are clean. Most delays come from missing ownership proofs, unresolved collaborator splits, or inconsistent revenue reporting across platforms. In practical terms, you can think of the process as five phases: preparation, initial review, due diligence, offer/terms, and closing. Each phase has one clear job and one common failure mode. This guide shows what typically happens in each step, what slows it down, and what you can prepare now to avoid dead time later. If your goal is speed without pricing mistakes, the best lever is document quality before you enter buyer conversations.