Taylor Swift Reclaims Ownership of Her First Six Albums in Landmark Deal
Taylor Swift has officially bought back the rights to her first six albums, ending a high-profile, years-long battle over control of her master recordings.
“All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me,” Swift wrote on her official website. “I’ve been bursting into tears of joy ever since I found out this is really happening.”
This moment marks a turning point in a saga that began in June 2019, when music executive Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine Records—Swift’s former label—gaining ownership of her albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation.
The Scooter Braun Controversy
Swift objected to the acquisition, accusing Braun of complicity in past mistreatment, particularly tied to her feud with Kanye West. Swift called Braun’s actions “incessant, manipulative bullying” and criticized the lack of transparency in the deal.
She responded by announcing her plan to re-record all six albums—a bold move that diminished the value of the original masters and restored creative and financial control to her.
To date, Swift has released four “Taylor’s Version” albums with bonus tracks and unreleased material. However, she admitted that re-recording Reputation has proven emotionally complex.
“It’s the one album in those first six that I thought couldn’t be improved by redoing it… so I kept putting it off,” she said, though she previewed the re-recorded Look What You Made Me Do in The Handmaid’s Tale.
She hinted that a full re-recording of Reputation (Taylor’s Version) may be delayed, but vault tracks could still be released in the future.
Why Master Ownership Matters
In the music industry, owning master recordings gives the artist full rights to license, distribute, or commercialize their work. While Swift always retained her publishing rights, she had no control over how her original recordings were used—until now.
“I want my music to live on… but only if I own it,” she told Billboard in 2019.
The exact cost of the deal hasn’t been disclosed, though her back catalog reportedly sold for $300 million in 2020. The new deal includes not just her albums but also concert films, music videos, artwork, and unreleased content.
A Journey 20 Years in the Making
Swift recounted how she had tried for over a decade to purchase her masters directly but was repeatedly denied the opportunity. She left Big Machine in 2018 for Republic Records and Universal Music Group, where she secured ownership of all future recordings.
When Braun sold his stake to Shamrock Capital in 2020, Swift once again found herself excluded from the process—and learned Braun would still profit from her old music. She declined any partnership with Shamrock.
“I simply cannot in good conscience bring myself to be involved in benefiting Scooter Braun’s interests,” she wrote in a public letter.
The Rise of Taylor’s Versions
Swift’s re-recordings have been praised for their fidelity to the originals, while offering richer production and exciting bonus material. The 10-minute version of All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) even topped charts globally, with Variety calling it the “holy grail” of her discography.
Alongside these efforts, Swift released original albums like Folklore and Midnights, and launched her record-breaking Eras Tour, which earned over $2 billion in ticket sales.
“The success of the Eras Tour is why I was able to buy back my music,” she wrote.
Inspiring Change in the Industry
Swift says her battle has opened the door for younger artists to negotiate fairer deals.
“Every time a new artist tells me they negotiated to own their master recordings in their record contract because of this fight, I’m reminded of how important it was for all of this to happen.”
She closed her message by thanking fans for supporting her through the journey:
“You’ll never know how much it means to me that you cared. Every single bit of it counted.”
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