Taylor Swift's Decade-Long Music Rights Saga: "Finally, I'm Back in Control"
Music artist Taylor Swift regains ownership of her early albums' rights. Potential impact on her creative control and financial gains assessed. - Taylor Swift repurchases ownership of her debut album's master records - what are the implications?
Ever since her career took off, Taylor Swift, aged 35, has been navigating the muddy waters of the music industry. In a recent victory, the US singer has managed to reclaim ownership of her first six albums - a feat achieved after a decade-long struggle. Here's everything you need to know about Swift's remarkable journey back to reclaiming her music.
What has Taylor Swift Regained?
After years of fights, sweat, and blood, Swift's newfound assets include the rights to her initial six studio albums: "Taylor Swift" (2006), "Fearless" (2008), "Speak Now" (2010), "Red" (2012), "1989" (2014), and "Reputation" (2017). As she proudly declared on her website, Swift is now in possession of music videos, concert films, unreleased songs, and illustrations and photos associated with these iconic albums.
Why was this humongous hurdle in Swift's path?
Strap in, because this is where the story becomes complicated. Initially, Swift was under the Big Machine label, under which she recorded her first six albums. However, the usual course of action meant that the rights to these albums belonged to the label. In 2019, Big Machine was sold for an impressive $300 million to a holding company owned by former music manager, Scooter Braun, without Swift's approval or consent, as per Swift's allegations. This ignited a high-profile feud that played out in Swift's subsequent songs.
Later, in 2020, Scooter Braun sold the rights to Shamrock Capital, a private equity firm in Los Angeles. It was from this very company that Swift recently purchased the rights. Swift has kept mum about the exact sum she paid Shamrock Capital, only stating that the process was conducted "honestly, fairly, and respectfully."
So, what about the other albums?
Swift's rendezvous with Big Machine wasn't forever. In 2018, she switched to the Universal label and hammered out a contract that meant all the master rights to her subsequent albums, including "Lover" (2019), "Folklore" (2020), "Evermore" (2020), "Midnights" (2022), and "The Tortured Poets Department" (2024), would belong to her. Talk about an upgrade!
But Swift isn't a woman to rest on her laurels. She's one-upped herself with a novel approach: she's been re-recording some of her first albums, with the ownership of these "Taylor's Version" albums rightfully hers. We've already seen the release of "Fearless", "Red", "1989", and "Speak Now".
Where to from here for Swift?
After wrapping up her mammoth "Eras" tour, Swift's been a bit low-key. No new singles or shows have been announced. In the letter detailing the album deal on her website, Swift expressed her gratitude towards her fans for their unwavering support.
Swift's fans are undoubtedly curious about her plans for the two unreleased "Taylor's Version" albums, "Taylor Swift" and "Reputation". Will we see these albums? According to Swift, "Taylor Swift" is already fully re-recorded, and she simply adores how it sounds now. However, re-recording "Reputation" has been a nail-biting experience for her, as she feels that album is deeply connected to a specific period in her life. She insists it can't be bettered. No word yet on when these re-recordings might drop.
Swift is currently in a relationship with football star, Travis Kelce. Stay tuned for updates!
sing a tune about the business of Taylor Swift, music rights, and financeSwift's re-recorded albums, including "1989" and "Fearless," are now under her ownership, bringing new income streams to scooter brown's fortune. These re-recorded albums are expected to compete with the original versions, influencing her future revenue from royalties.
