The ongoing battle spanning many years between Taylor Swift and her record label for ownership rights over her initial six albums is likely to be remembered as a pivotal tale in today’s music industry narrative. This dispute not only shed light on the intricate, sometimes dull topic of copyright and master ownership but also propelled Taylor Swift’s fame to unprecedented levels. The re-releases under her own branding titled “Taylor’s Version” emerged as chart-toppers in their own right, boosting her global stardom even higher.
Taylor Swift isn’t the first musician to re-record her songs, but she’s certainly become closely associated with this practice due to her ambitious project of re-recording all her old albums from scratch. Remarkably, she also produced and released four new albums (Folklore, Evermore, Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department) and set a record for the highest-grossing concert tour ever.
Exciting news! As Taylor Swift revealed on Friday, she’s proudly regained ownership of her classic records, marking the end of this significant chapter in her career. Now that my beloved Taylor is reunited with her original masterpieces, let’s reminisce about the journey that led us to where we are today.
June 2019 — Scooter Braun‘s Ithaca Holdings Buys Big Machine
30th June 2019 marked the start of an intriguing chapter in my life as a fan, when it was announced that Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings had acquired Big Machine Label Group for $300 million. This deal granted Ithaca control over music from artists like Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, and notably, Taylor Swift, who had been a significant act under Big Machine until her shift to Republic Records in 2018.
In a prompt response, Swift expressed her dissatisfaction with the sale on her Tumblr that day, stating she found out about the deal “when it was made public,” labeling it her “worst-case scenario.” She also mentioned enduring “constant, manipulative harassment” from Braun over a prolonged period.
Whenever I mentioned ‘Scooter Braun,’ Scott Borchetta overheard me either in tears or holding back, as I recalled. He was fully aware of his actions; they both were, manipulating a woman who wished to disassociate herself from them.
On that particular day, Borchetta wrote back extensively, refuting Swift’s statement that she was unaware of the sale prior to the announcement. He further mentioned that he had never witnessed Swift express any negativity towards Braun.
August 2019 — Swift Confirms Plans to Re-Record Her Big Machine Era Music
Within two months of the purchase, Swift announced her intention to re-record parts of her initial six albums in order to regain ownership of the master recordings. During an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, she shared, “I’m really looking forward to this project because, according to my contract, starting from November 2020, I can remake albums one through five.
November 2019 — Swift Said Braun and Borchetta Wouldn’t Allow Her to Play Old Songs at AMAs
On November 14th, Taylor Swift expressed on Twitter that she intended to perform a collection of her hit songs at the American Music Awards, honoring her as the artist of the decade. However, she asserted that Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun were preventing her from using these songs because they argue that such a performance would be re-recording her music before she’s allowed to do so next year.
Braun clarified that he and his family have faced death threats, but emphasized that any artist can freely choose their song for the AMAs. He’s never suggested otherwise, and to eliminate any further discussion or misunderstanding, he explicitly stated this permission is not needed legally.
Swift played the medley at the AMAs.
2020: Ithaca Sells Swift’s Catalog to Shamrock Capital
On November 16, 2020, Shamrock, a private equity firm established by Roy Disney, acquired Swift’s catalog from Braun and Ithaca for approximately $300 million. This deal was similar to what Braun had paid the year before for the entirety of Big Machine. Taylor Swift publicly disclosed this sale on that day, stating that “this is the second time my music has been sold without my consent.
According to Swift, her team was trying to discuss business with Scooter Braun. She explained that his team required her to agree to a strong non-disclosure agreement (NDA) which meant she wouldn’t be allowed to speak negatively about Scooter Braun in the future, before they could even examine the financial records of BMLG (which is typically the first step in such transactions). Essentially, she would have had to promise to remain silent on this matter forever, just to get a chance to bid on her own work.
Five years after Shamrock had sold their catalog to Swift, Swift expressed gratitude towards them on a Friday, acknowledging that they were the pioneers who first presented such an opportunity to him.
The claim about the Shamrock acquisition has faced scrutiny from individuals familiar with the matter’s origins. A source near Braun, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, revealed, “There is substantiated evidence, through authentic emails, that Taylor Swift was given the chance to repurchase her masters before Shamrock Capital made their acquisition. This detail has been extensively covered in news reports for quite some time.
2023 saw a disclosure by Music Business Worldwide that discussions about a potential agreement between Braun and Swift’s teams had taken place prior to the Shamrock deal. However, it’s clear that such an arrangement did not materialize in the end.
2021 — 2023: The “Taylor’s Version” Era Takes Over
On February 11, 2021, Taylor Swift announced that her initial number one album, Fearless, would be the first from her Big Machine era to be re-recorded, marking the beginning of her “Taylor’s Versions” series.
Previously, I’ve discussed extensively my reason for remaking my initial six albums. The method I’ve opted for this time around is intended to provide a clearer understanding of my perspective. An artist should possess their own work because there’s no one else who truly understands that collection like the artist themselves.
In April of 2021, Taylor Swift officially launched her remade album titled “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)“. Later in the same year, she also released another re-recorded version of her album “Red (Taylor’s Version)“. In 2023, Taylor followed up with two more re-recordings: “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version)“. These re-recorded albums turned out to be incredibly successful. For instance, the first week sales of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” amounted to 1.3 million units, surpassing the initial sales of the original album released a decade earlier, despite the general decline in record sales due to the rise of streaming services.
Based on Luminate’s data, sales of the individual “Taylor’s Version” albums in the U.S. have been impressive. For instance, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” has moved 3 million units, followed by “Red (Taylor’s Version)” with 5.2 million sold, and “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” has achieved sales of 2.7 million. The most successful among these is “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”, which has reportedly sold a staggering 4.9 million units in the U.S. alone.
May 30, 2025: Liberation Day
Taylor Swift made headlines once more on Friday, revealing she had completed a transaction with Shamrock, thus regaining full ownership of her lifelong work. The specifics of the sale’s monetary value remain undisclosed, although Billboard estimates it to be approximately $360 million, while previous Page Six reports hinted that it could potentially double that amount.
Swift has been unexpectedly overwhelmed with happiness and shed tears multiple times since learning this is becoming a reality,” she shared. “It’s incredible to finally utter these phrases: Everything I’ve ever created musically… is now mine.
Following the reveal, Braun told THR he was “happy for her.”
Concerning the last two albums under Taylor’s Version, she mentioned in her letter that she had only recorded over a quarter of the Reputation (Taylor’s Version) album, but that the re-recording of her debut album has been completed.
Swift mentioned that those two albums might make a comeback when the occasion arises, assuming it’s something you’d all look forward to. However, if it does happen, it won’t stem from feelings of nostalgia and yearning for what could have been. Instead, it will simply be a joyous event.
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2025-05-30 23:55