Taylor Swift buys back music catalog after years-long industry battle
It’s not a love story, it’s a victory anthem! After years of public battles and strategic re-recordings, Taylor Swift now owns the original master recordings for her first six albums.
Why didn’t Swift own her music?
In 2019, Swift’s former label, Big Machine Records, sold her catalog to music executive Scooter Braun. At just 15 years old, Swift signed a standard industry contract that gave the label ownership of her masters in exchange for production, promotion and distribution support.
Owning master recordings means controlling how, when and where music is used — and collecting the majority of profits from those uses. Until now, Swift never had that control.
Swift broke the news in an Instagram post, encouraging fans to read the full statement on her website.
“I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening,” Swift wrote. “I really get to say these words: All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me. And all my music videos. All the concert films. The album art and photography. The unreleased songs.”
The meaning behind ‘Taylor’s Version’
Albums like “Red” and “1989” were re-released with “Taylor’s Version” added to the title because of this ownership issue. Swift re-recorded those early albums to override the originals with new masters she could control.
No help from Scooter Braun
A source told People that Braun had no involvement in the purchase. Braun sold Swift’s masters to Shamrock Holdings in 2019 for $300 million. Swift said she purchased the masters from Shamrock.
“Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him,” the source said.
No official purchase price has been confirmed. According to Rolling Stone, the rumored $600 million price tag is inaccurate.
What about RepTV?
Fans had hoped for a re-record of the “Reputation” album, which was her final release under Big Machine. But in her letter, Swift shared that she had only just begun that process.
She said the album is tied to a specific moment in her life and doesn’t feel it can be improved by redoing it.
The cost of creative control in the industry
Braun previously represented other artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. However, Braun and Bieber recently had a falling-out over Bieber’s current financial crisis.
In 2022, Bieber canceled his “Justice World Tour” after doctors diagnosed him with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a condition triggered by a shingles outbreak that affects facial nerves near the ear. Part of Bieber’s face was left paralyzed as a result. He had already received a $40 million advance from concert promoter AEG.
Braun’s company, Hybe, reportedly covered the debt, with an agreement that Bieber would pay it back over 10 years. However, according to TMZ, documents obtained from an independent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit show Bieber stopped paying and still owes over $8.8 million.
John Fogerty gets inspired by ‘Taylor’s Version’
In a separate music update, legendary artist John Fogerty is re-recording 20 of his “Creedence Clearwater Revival” classics. According to Rolling Stone, he says, “I wanted to call it ‘Taylor’s Version.’”
His new LP, “Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years,” will be released August 22 and will include fresh takes on his best-known songs.
A billion-dollar tour and a legacy reclaimed
Taylor Swift’s recent achievements underscore her influence in the music industry.
Swift’s “Eras Tour,” which ran from March 2023 through December 2024, had 149 shows across five continents and grossed over $2 billion. It marked the highest-grossing concert tour in history.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” sold 1.653 million equivalent album units, outselling the original version’s first week numbers by 28%, according to Fortune.
Variety reports “Red (Taylor’s Version)” broke two Spotify records at the time of its 2021 release — most-streamed album in a day by a female and most-streamed female in a single day.
According to Billboard, in July 2023, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” earned 1.47 billion on-demand streams, which didn’t include user-generated content, as compared to the 680.39 million streams for the original “Fearless” since the re-recording was released.
In 2023, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” broke the record for the most No. 1 albums among women, surpassing Barbra Streisand.
In her letter to fans, Swift didn’t just celebrate a business victory. She also reflected on the emotional toll that drove her fight for ownership of her masters. She also expresses gratitude to her fans.
“The passionate support you showed [the re-recordings] and the success story you turned ‘The Eras Tour’ into is why I was able to buy back my music,” Swift wrote.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
