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How Taylor Swift Got Back the Master Recordings of Her Albums

Also, how did she lose the rights to her own music in the first place?

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Taylor Swift has finally achieved what she’s spent nearly two decades fighting for: ownership of her first six albums — Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation. In other words, her entire early catalog. But how did she lose the rights to her own music in the first place?

When Taylor Swift first started her career, she signed with a record label called Big Machine Records. Like many young artists, she didn’t own the masters of her songs. That means the label had legal control over the original recordings of her music. She owned the lyrics and compositions, but not the recordings themselves.

In 2019, music executive Scooter Braun purchased Big Machine Records, and with it, the rights to Taylor’s first six albums. Swift said she wasn’t given a fair chance to buy back her masters and publicly expressed feeling betrayed, especially since she’d had previous tensions with Braun.

Taylor Swift performs on stage in concert on the Sydney stop of her ‘Fearless’ tour at The Factory Theatre on March 12, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. (Don Arnold/Getty Images)

Rather than fight a legal battle she wasn’t likely to win, Swift came up with creative solution: She would re-record all six of those albums, creating new versions that she does own. These versions are called “Taylor’s Versions”. By doing this, she’s encouraging fans, brands, and streaming platforms to support the new versions, which give her full control and royalties. And it effectively reduced the value of the original masters owned by Braun’s company.

Why Was This a Big Deal?

Taylor’s move was groundbreaking because it set a precedent for artists fighting for ownership. It allowed her to reclaim her legacy without breaking the law. And it showed her influence—millions of fans stream and buy Taylor’s Versions over the originals.

So far, she’s re-released Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and Reputation was expected to follow.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during ‘Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour’ at Allianz Parque on November 24, 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Taylor Swift didn’t technically get back the original masters. Instead, she outsmarted the system by re-recording them—creating a set of new master recordings that she owns and controls. It’s a rare and powerful move that’s reshaping the music industry.

How Did Taylor Swift Recover the Rights?

As mentioned, Scooter Braun purchased the rights to her masters from Big Machine Label Group. However, a year later, he sold the catalog to Shamrock Capital—again, without informing or consulting Swift. According to El Mundo, Swift stated that it was the investment firm who later reached out to her in an attempt to make a deal for the rights to her music.

Swift expressed on her website: “All I’ve ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to be able to one day purchase my music outright with no strings attached, no partnership, with full autonomy […] This was a business deal to them, but I really felt like they saw it for what it was to me: My memories and my sweat and my handwriting and my decades of dreams. I am endlessly thankful.”