Every note, every lyric, every era, now belongs to her
Taylor Swift now officially owns the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a long and public fight over her early music. The singer announced in a personal letter to her fans that she bought back the rights from Shamrock Capital, the investment firm that purchased them in 2020 from music manager Scooter Braun.
This means Swift now has full control over her albums from her 2006 debut Taylor Swift up to 2017’s reputation, along with all music videos, concert films, album art, and unreleased songs from that era.
“All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs to me,” she wrote.
A recap of the masters dispute
The conflict began in June 2019, when Braun’s company, Ithaca Holdings, acquired Big Machine Label Group for around $300 million. Big Machine was the label Swift had signed with at the start of her career, and it owned the masters to her first six albums. Swift said she found out about the deal at the same time the public did. She also said she had tried to buy her catalog but was only offered a deal that would let her earn back one old album for every new one she released with the label.
Swift publicly criticized the sale and said the deal left her life’s work “in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.” Braun had worked with Kanye West and Justin Bieber, both of whom were involved in past public conflicts with Swift. The singer accused Braun of bullying her and using his power in the industry against her.
In November 2020, Braun sold the masters to Shamrock Capital. Swift said she was offered a chance to partner with the firm but turned it down after learning that Braun would continue to profit from the deal. As a response, she began re-recording the albums under “Taylor’s Version,” allowing her to own and control the new versions of her songs.
The masters Swift now owns include: Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), Reputation (2017).
Will there be another “Taylor’s Version”?
Since 2021, Swift has released re-recordings of four albums: Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). These re-recordings have performed well, with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) having the biggest opening week of her career until she topped it with her most recent release, The Tortured Poets Department.
In the letter, Swift also shared that she has fully re-recorded her debut album Taylor Swift (TV) and is happy with how it sounds. However, she said progress on Reputation (TV) has stalled. She described the album as being too tied to a difficult time in her life, making it hard to revisit and recreate.
There is no confirmed release date for either Taylor Swift (TV) or Reputation (TV), but she made it clear that fans can expect them when the time feels right.
Artists often do not own their own masters, which limits how they can use or earn from their music. By buying back her catalog, Swift now has full control over how her songs are used in media, ads, and future releases. She also hopes her story encourages other artists to fight for ownership in their own contracts.
Swift thanked her fans for supporting her throughout the process. She said the success of the Eras Tour helped make this deal possible. With more than $2 billion in ticket sales and over 149 shows, the tour gave her the resources and platform to reclaim her work.
“All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs to me,” she wrote.
