The song you wrote before the wedding is not automatically the song you write after it.
Sia sold 50% of her publishing and master rights to Pophouse, reportedly for $180 million. Pophouse confirmed the deal but not the price. According to documents TMZ obtained, $165 million is tied to songs she wrote before the marriage, and her ex agreed to give up any claim to that money if she paid him $1 million. The $15 million tied to songs written during the marriage is going into escrow.
Community property and separate property, in one minute
Nine US states are community-property states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The others use equitable distribution. The rules differ. Know which one you live in.
Before the marriage, it is yours (generally)
In California, separate property includes what you owned before marriage, and its rents, issues, and profits (Cal. Fam. Code §770). So royalties from a song you wrote before the wedding generally stay yours. Not every community-property state works that way. In Idaho, Louisiana, Texas, and Wisconsin, income from separate property is generally community income. Keep proof of creation dates: session files, registration dates, release dates.
During the marriage, it can be "ours," including IP
Cal. Fam. Code §760: what you acquire during the marriage while living in California is community property, unless a statute says otherwise. In re Marriage of Worth (1987) treated copyrights in works created during marriage as community property. That can extend to songs, books, content libraries, brand equity, channel revenue, and royalties.
There are grey zones. Premarital work you substantially develop during the marriage. Your effort growing a premarital business, which courts may apportion.
Waivers and prenups buy certainty
A spouse can waive claims for payment. Sia reportedly paid $1 million. A prenup can classify future IP as separate, set a buyout formula, and protect control: who can license, and who can sell.
In California, a prenup has to be in writing and signed by both of you. You need at least seven calendar days between getting the final version and signing it. Each of you should have your own lawyer; if you don't, you have to waive that in a separate signed writing, and other protections kick in. Skip these steps and a court can refuse to enforce it.
Control, not just money
Even if the value is split, decide who manages the catalog or the brand: licensing approvals, sale rights, name, and likeness.
What to do before the wedding
Make an inventory. Take a valuation snapshot. Consider an entity that holds the work (for example, an LLC that owns the catalog). Have the prenup conversation. Update split sheets and registrations.
Before "I do" IP inventory
- List every asset: songs (with writer splits), masters, books, scripts, the channel and brand, trademarks, domains, and social accounts.
- Proof of the creation date for each one: files, registrations, release dates.
- Current income streams (PRO, publisher, distributor, platform payouts) and a statement snapshot as of the wedding date.
- Which state you live in, or will live in, and whether it is a community-property state.
- Who controls licensing and sale decisions after the marriage.
- Prenup topics: future IP created during the marriage, growth of premarital IP, royalties, name and likeness, a buyout formula, and business ownership.
- Each partner has their own lawyer, and the timeline allows the review period.
A way to start the conversation:
I love you, and I want us to never fight about my songs or my brand. Can we both get lawyers and write down what is mine, what is ours, and who decides what?
A note before the wedding
This is general legal information, not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. Marital property law varies a lot by state and country. Sia's divorce terms here are based on press reports of court documents. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in your state.
Sources
- TMZ, "Sia Sells Half of Her Music Catalogue for $180 Million" (30 Sep 2026)
- Tim Ingham, "Sia sells 50% of music catalog to Pophouse in $180M deal," Music Business Worldwide (1 Oct 2026)
- Cal. Fam. Code §§760, 770 (community and separate property); §§1600–1617 (Uniform Premarital Agreement Act), including §§1611, 1612, 1615
- In re Marriage of Worth, 195 Cal. App. 3d 768 (1987)
