Indie Publisher Combustion Music Thrives by Regularly Selling Off Its Entire Catalog

In January 2026, Nashville-based publishing company Combustion Music will celebrate its 25th anniversary. However, the company's success over the past quarter-century has come through an unconventional business model.

Combustion's owner, Chris Farren, has developed a strategy of regularly selling off the company's entire catalog, typically every 5 years. This allows Combustion to adapt to the changing digital landscape and reinvest the proceeds. Farren notes that this approach gives the company "money now and money to invest for later," rather than just waiting for royalties to come in.

To facilitate this model, Combustion has built an established team of employees who are incentivized to help rebuild the catalog after each sale. The staff receives a percentage of the revenue from the catalog deals, in exchange for a smaller weekly paycheck. This encourages continuity and aligns the team's interests with the company's success.

While Farren acknowledges that the publishing industry has become more challenging in the streaming era, Combustion's innovative approach has allowed it to remain independent and continue to thrive. As the company looks ahead to its 25th year, Farren is optimistic that Combustion will be "firing on all cylinders" - both creatively and economically.