Taylor Swift Regains Ownership of Her Early Music Catalog, Concluding Years-Long Battle Over Masters

On May 30, 2025, Taylor Swift regained ownership of the master recordings for her first six studio albums, concluding a six-year effort to control her early music catalog. The acquisition includes associated materials such as videos, photographs, and unreleased content. The purchase was made from Shamrock Capital, the investment firm that had previously acquired the masters from Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings in 2020. 

Swift's journey to reclaim her masters began in 2019 when Braun's acquisition of Big Machine Label Group included the rights to her early work. In response, Swift initiated the "Taylor's Version" project, re-recording her first six albums to regain control over her music. These re-recordings achieved commercial success, with four albums—Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989—topping charts and receiving critical acclaim. 

The financial terms of the recent deal have not been publicly disclosed, though reports suggest the transaction was valued at approximately $360 million.  With this acquisition, Swift now holds full rights to her early recordings, granting her complete control over licensing and distribution.

Swift's actions have influenced the music industry, prompting record labels to revise contract terms to extend the period before artists can re-record their work, with some clauses now extending up to 30 years.  Her efforts have also inspired other artists to seek greater control over their music rights. 

While Swift has re-recorded four of her first six albums, the re-recordings of her debut album Taylor Swift and Reputationremain unreleased. She has indicated that these may be released in the future, potentially as celebratory projects.T

This development marks a significant moment in the ongoing discourse about artists' rights and control over their creative work.

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Compiled and written using verified information from BBC News, The Guardian, and publicly accessible records including Wikipedia and Scripps News.