Taylor Swift Reclaims Ownership Of Her Master Recordings

Owning your work has always been a significant issue for artists, especially in the music world. When you create something personal, like a song or an album, it means a lot to have control over how it’s used, shared, and valued.

That’s why the recent news about Taylor Swift buying back the rights to her first six albums feels like a major win, not just for her, but for artists everywhere. Taylor Swift announced on her official website that she now owns all the music she’s ever made.

“All of the music I've ever made now belongs to me,” she said, adding that she’s been “bursting into tears of joy” since the deal went through.

After years of a complicated fight, the dream of owning her master recordings has finally come true. The whole story started back in June 2019.

That’s when music manager Scooter Braun purchased Swift’s old record label, Big Machine, which included the rights to her early albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation. Swift had serious issues with the deal.

She accused Braun of enabling “incessant, manipulative bullying” against her, especially pointing to the long public conflict with Kanye West, one of Braun’s clients.

Swift called reclaiming her music a dream come true after nearly giving up hope.

In her announcement, Swift described how getting back her music seemed impossible for a long time.

“To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it,” she wrote, thanking her fans for their support throughout the ordeal. “I can't thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to but have never owned until now.”

She also revealed how close she came to giving up hope after twenty years of having that “carrot dangled and then yanked away.” But now, that chapter is closed.

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In the music business, owning the master recordings means you control how the songs are distributed and licensed. Artists usually still earn royalties regardless, but owning the masters gives them real power over how their work is used in movies, ads, or streaming platforms in the future.

After the original masters were sold to Braun, Swift announced she would re-record her early albums. The idea was simple: by creating new versions of those songs, called “Taylor’s Versions,” she could reclaim ownership and reduce the value of the original masters she didn’t control.

So far, she’s re-released four albums with bonus tracks and extra material.

Dr. Daniel Goleman, a well-known emotional intelligence expert, highlights that the emotional journey of artists like Swift can profoundly affect their mental health. He explains that reclaiming ownership can lead to empowerment and a renewed sense of purpose.

This emotional wellness is crucial, especially in an industry that often thrives on exploitation. Goleman suggests that artists should develop strong support systems and cultivate emotional awareness to navigate the complexities of their careers, ensuring they remain grounded even amidst adversity.

Swift delayed re-recording Reputation because it felt too personal to improve.

However, Swift said she hit pause while trying to remake Reputation, the 2017 album that dealt with her struggles and the fallout from the Kanye West feud.

“The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life,” she explained. “All that defiance, that longing to be understood while feeling purposefully misunderstood... To be perfectly honest, it's the one album in those first six that I thought couldn't be improved by re-doing it... so I kept putting it off.”Getty Images

Last week, she previewed the new version of Look What You Made Me Do on an episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, but it seems the full re-recording of Reputation might be delayed or even scrapped for now. She did promise to release vault tracks from that album sometime later if fans want them.

On a brighter note, Swift confirmed she finished re-recording her self-titled debut album and said,

“I really love how it sounds now.” She also hinted that those early albums might have a chance to shine again “when the time is right.” But this time, it would be “a celebration,” not a “sadness and longing for what I wish I could have.”

Taylor Swift lost control of her early recordings when her label sold the masters to Scooter Braun without her consent.

So, what exactly is a master recording? It’s the original version of a song or album that holds all the rights to how it’s used and distributed, from streaming to physical copies to licensing in commercials or movies.

Swift always maintained her publishing rights, meaning she controlled songwriting and could veto licensing, but without owning the masters, the control over the recordings themselves was out of her hands.

When Taylor Swift first signed with Big Machine at age 14, the label owned the masters to her early albums, which was common in the industry. Labels took ownership because they invested in promoting and distributing music in the pre-streaming era.

Her contract gave the label lifetime ownership of those recordings. The contract expired in 2018, and Swift moved to a new label.

But in 2019, when Braun bought Big Machine, the masters changed hands without her knowing. She said the sale “stripped me of my life’s work” and called Braun “the definition of toxic male privilege in our industry.”

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The Importance of Ownership

According to Seth Godin, a renowned marketing expert, owning one's creative output is critical for artists to maintain authenticity and integrity. He emphasizes that when artists control their work, they can better navigate their careers and protect their legacies.

Godin points out that Swift's reclaiming of her master recordings serves as a powerful reminder for emerging artists. By understanding the terms of contracts and focusing on ownership early in their careers, artists can avoid pitfalls that often come with relinquishing rights to their work.

Swift re-recorded her albums to regain control and block Braun from profiting.

Swift tried for years to buy back her masters outright but was denied the chance. She argued that artists should have the first right to purchase their work.

The drama continued when Braun later sold his stake to Shamrock Holdings, a company linked to the Disney family, which left Swift feeling betrayed again. She refused to support any deal that would benefit Braun.

Since then, Swift has been re-recording her old albums to regain control. The re-releases include extras like a full 10-minute version of her song All Too Well, which became a hit all over again.

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Beyond the business, this fight has inspired many new artists to negotiate for ownership of their masters upfront. Taylor said in her letter,

“Every time a new artist tells me they negotiated to own their master recordings in their record contract because of this fight, I'm reminded of how important it was for all of this to happen.”

Her successful Eras tour, which earned over $2 billion, helped her fund buying back her music. Swift ended her message with thanks to fans:

“You'll never know how much it means to me that you cared. Every single bit of it counted, and ended us up here.”

Research-Based Understanding

The ongoing conversation about ownership in the music industry is not just about Taylor Swift; it's a broader issue affecting artists everywhere. As various experts suggest, understanding the business side of creativity is vital for artists to safeguard their work.

By learning from Swift's journey, aspiring musicians can prioritize their rights and educate themselves on contracts, ultimately fostering a healthier industry. As Malcolm Gladwell notes, storytelling and the control of one's narrative are keys to success in any field, including music.