Taylor Swift's Been Bursting Into Tears of Joy Now That She Finally Owns All of Her Masters

Published: Friday, May 30, 2025 at 7:03 pm

Taylor Swift Now Owns Her Masters: A Dream Come True

In a momentous victory for artistic ownership, Taylor Swift has finally secured the rights to her first six albums, a journey marked by a long-standing feud and strategic re-recordings. Swift announced the news on her website, expressing overwhelming joy at the culmination of a years-long battle. She purchased the master recordings from Shamrock Capital, the private equity firm that acquired them from Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings in 2020. The financial details of the deal remain undisclosed.

This triumph is the result of a complex history. The conflict began with Kanye West's interruption of her 2009 MTV VMA acceptance speech, and intensified when Scooter Braun, West's manager, later acquired Big Machine Records, the label that owned Swift's early masters. This gave Braun control over her back catalog, limiting her ability to use her own music.

Swift responded by signing with Republic Records and embarking on a strategic plan to re-record her early albums, releasing "Taylor's Version" of each, effectively cutting Braun and the new owners out of the revenue stream. This move, coupled with the massive success of her Eras Tour, which she credits with enabling her to buy back her music, ultimately led to her regaining control.

Swift's statement emphasized her gratitude to Shamrock Capital for offering her the opportunity to own her work outright, free from any partnerships. She also hinted at future releases, including unreleased tracks from her "Reputation" album, but clarified that these would be celebrations, not born from sadness. The news has delighted fans, who have been eagerly anticipating the release of "Reputation (Taylor's Version)."

Keywords: Taylor Swift, masters, ownership, Shamrock Capital, Scooter Braun, Big Machine Records, re-recordings, Taylor's Version, Eras Tour, music rights, albums, Reputation, Kanye West, Republic Records, music industry, artist rights

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