Who Owns Taylor Swift's Music? Big Machine to Buyback

Introduction

Taylor Swift is one of the biggest pop stars on the planet – but for years, she did not own the master recordings of her first six albums. This led to a very public battle over music ownership that even non-fans have heard about. So, who owned Taylor Swift's music, and what is the situation now? The answer involves her former label Big Machine Records, music executive Scooter Braun, an investment firm Shamrock Capital, and ultimately Taylor Swift herself. Let's break down this complex saga of ownership in the music industry.

Big Machine and the Master Recordings

Taylor Swift released her first six albums (from her self-titled debut in 2006 through Reputation in 2017) under an independent record label called Big Machine Records, founded by Scott Borchetta. Like many artists, Swift does not own the master tapes of those albums – the label does. The "master" is the original recording from which all copies are made, and owning it means you control how the music is used (licensing for commercials, streaming, etc.). In Swift's initial contract, Big Machine owned her masters, while Swift herself is a songwriter on most songs (so she does own the publishing rights to the compositions). Fast forward to 2018: Taylor's deal with Big Machine ended, and she signed a new contract with Universal Music (Republic Records) that ensured she'd own any new masters going forward. But Big Machine still held the old ones. Swift says she tried to buy her masters or at least secure them, but negotiations failed[79][80].

Scooter Braun Buys Her Catalog (2019)

The situation exploded in June 2019 when Scooter Braun, a prominent talent manager (for Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, etc.), acquired Big Machine Records and with it Taylor Swift's master recordings. Braun's company, Ithaca Holdings, reportedly paid around $300 million for Big Machine. Taylor Swift was furious – she wrote that this deal was her "worst case scenario," accusing Braun of having bullied her in the past via clients like Kanye West[81][82]. She also criticized Scott Borchetta (Big Machine's founder) for selling her "life's work" without giving her a fair chance to buy it herself[83]. Essentially, from mid-2019, Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings owned the masters to Taylor's albums 1 through 6 (Taylor still earned royalties from them, but had no control). This ownership meant Braun could decide how those recordings were used – something that did not sit well with Swift.

Shamrock Capital and Taylor's Re-recordings

In October 2020, Scooter Braun sold Taylor's master rights again, this time to a private equity firm called Shamrock Capital[84]. Shamrock paid an estimated $300 million+ for the masters. Importantly, Taylor Swift revealed that as part of the sale, Braun would continue to profit off her old catalog for years (a condition of the deal)[85]. Shamrock reached out to Swift hoping to work with her, but upon learning Braun would still make money, Swift refused partnership. By then, Taylor had a plan: re-record her albums so that she would own the new masters and diminish the value of the old ones. Her recording contract allowed her to start re-recording her songs after a certain time. She announced this strategy in 2019, and starting in 2021 she rolled out "Taylor's Version" re-recorded albums. So far, she's released new versions of Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989, with others on the way[86]. Fans have largely embraced the re-recordings, and Swift has actively encouraged them to stream/buy the new versions instead of the old. This is a way for her to reclaim artistic and financial control.

Taylor Buys Back Her Masters (2023/2024)

The dramatic twist came just recently: after years of acrimony, Taylor Swift managed to buy the original masters from Shamrock Capital. In a letter to fans (posted on her site on a Friday in late 2023), Swift announced she had regained ownership of her first six albums' masters[87]. She wrote, "All of the music I've ever made... now belongs to me"[88] – a triumphant statement. This purchase presumably cost her or her team a huge sum (reports suggest around $300+ million), but it finally resolved the question of ownership. Now, Taylor owns the master recordings for all her albums: the early ones via this purchase, and the newer ones (Lover, folklore, evermore, Midnights) because her Republic Records deal gave those to her from the start[86][89]. She also owns her music videos and artworks, as she noted[90]. Essentially, Taylor Swift now has full control over her entire catalog, something very few mega-artists achieve, especially those who started on traditional record deals.

What This Means

Taylor's fight brought public attention to artists' rights and the concept of "owning your masters." Many fellow musicians supported her stance. Now that she owns her music, she can decide how it's used – and she will reap the financial benefits. The re-recordings ("Taylor's Versions") will continue as a way to not only give her ownership of those renditions but also to offer fans music that is 100% hers. It's likely that going forward, the majority of revenue will shift to her owned material. Taylor's successful reclamation of her work might set an example for younger artists negotiating contracts to demand ownership or re-record rights.

Conclusion

Taylor Swift ultimately owns her music masters today, but it was a hard-won battle. Originally, Big Machine Records held the masters to her first six albums. Those masters changed hands to Scooter Braun in 2019, then to Shamrock Capital in 2020[91]. Upset at being excluded, Swift embarked on re-recording her albums to create new masters she would own[86]. Finally, by late 2023, she announced that she bought back the original masters from Shamrock, meaning she now owns all her master recordings – both old and new[87]. Taylor's story highlights how music ownership works and why it matters. In her own words after reclaiming her art: "All of the music I've ever made... now belongs to me"[88] – a rare and remarkable outcome in the music industry.

Sources

[79] [80] [81] [82] [83] [84] [85] [86] [87] [88] [89] [90] [91] What to Know About Taylor Swift Buying Back Her Masters | TIME