Taylor Swift Buys Back Her Masters From Shamrock, Reclaiming Her First SixAlbums

Published: Friday, May 30, 2025 at 3:37 pm

Taylor Swift Reclaims Her Masters: A Victory for the Artist

In a major win for artist ownership, Taylor Swift has successfully bought back the master recordings of her first six albums from Shamrock Capital. The deal, announced on Friday, marks the culmination of a years-long battle for control over her music catalog. Swift's initial masters were acquired by Ithaca Holdings, owned by Scooter Braun, in 2019, a move she publicly condemned. Shamrock Capital then purchased the masters from Ithaca in late 2020, without Swift's involvement.

Sources indicate Swift paid approximately $360 million to regain ownership, a price close to what Shamrock originally paid. This means the private equity firm, despite owning the records for over three years, likely made minimal profit on the sale of the assets, though they did profit around $100 million in total.

The news is a deeply personal victory for Swift, who has been vocal about her desire to own her work. She expressed immense joy, stating that "All of the music I've ever made now belongs to me." This includes her music videos, concert films, album art, unreleased songs, and more.

Swift's journey to reclaim her music has been marked by her decision to re-record her Big Machine albums, starting with "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" in April 2021. These re-recordings have been incredibly successful, with "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" and "Red (Taylor's Version)" significantly outperforming their original versions in streaming numbers. "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" and "1989 (Taylor's Version)" also topped the Billboard 200 chart. Fans eagerly await the re-recordings of her debut album and "Reputation."

The acquisition of her masters is a testament to Swift's resilience and her commitment to artistic control. It also highlights the power of artists to fight for their rights and the value of owning one's creative work.

Keywords: Taylor Swift, masters, Shamrock Capital, Scooter Braun, Ithaca Holdings, Big Machine Label Group, re-recordings, Fearless (Taylor's Version), Red (Taylor's Version), Speak Now (Taylor's Version), 1989 (Taylor's Version), album ownership, music industry, artist rights, music catalog, Billboard, streaming, album sales, Eras Tour

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