For more than half a century, Pete Townshend has been smashing guitars, writing rock operas and asking, with considerable urgency, who exactly we all are. Now, at 79, he is entering a partnership with Primary Wave Music that will focus on his name, image and likeness — the parts of a legacy that remain after the publishing has already been sold.

Financial terms of the deal, announced Thursday, were not disclosed. Primary Wave said in a statement that the arrangement would pursue "branding and content opportunities" and that the company was already working to establish Mr. Townshend's presence on social media platforms. (One imagines the notifications: "Pete Townshend has joined Instagram." The mind reels, gently.)

The company also said it would work with the copyright holders of Mr. Townshend's catalog to place his music in film and television projects, a task that requires coordination with Spirit Music Group, which acquired his publishing interests back in 2012.

"Moving forward with my creative and performative work with Primary Wave, at this time of my life when most creatives might be slowing down, is a joy for me," Mr. Townshend said in a statement. "Their entire team exhibits an energy that is truly stimulating. Challenging too. I need that."

For Primary Wave, the deal extends a period of aggressive expansion that reached a new peak earlier this year with the acquisition of Kobalt, the music publisher, a transaction that established the company as one of the more formidable independent forces in the industry. Its roster of catalog and rights partnerships already includes Stevie Nicks, Patti LaBelle and Britney Spears, among others.

Larry Mestel, the chief executive of Primary Wave, called Mr. Townshend "one of the greatest and most influential rock icons in music history," which is the sort of statement that press releases are designed to contain.

Mr. Townshend, for his part, seems prepared to keep working. Whether the kids are, in fact, all right remains, as ever, an open question.

Original story published in The Hollywood Reporter: "Pete Townshend Enters Name, Image and Likeness Partnership with Primary Wave"