Taylor Swift reportedly paid a jaw-dropping sum to reclaim her music masters in a move that stuns the industry
Taylor Swift
has finally regained ownership of her original masters, marking a watershed moment in her ongoing battle for creative control.
After years of public battles and re-recordings, Swift quietly closed a colossal deal to reclaim her catalog and it's now officially hers.
The move concludes a long, emotional battle that began in 2019 when Scooter Braun purchased her catalog. Swift now owns the music she previously thought she had lost.
According to reports, Taylor Swift paid an astounding sum to repurchase her master recordings.
How much did Taylor Swift pay to reclaim her music masters?
She reportedly paid more than $1 billion to regain control of her songs, but according to a source who spoke to People Magazine, "the rumored price range that was reported is highly inaccurate."
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Taylor Swift paid an estimated $360 million to acquire the rights from Shamrock Capital, the private equity group that had previously acquired her portfolio from music manager Scooter Braun in 2020, according to a report by Billboard.
Swift's catalog was sold to her by Shamrock Capital for about $360 million, according to sources who spoke to Billboard on Friday. This price is comparable to what the private equity firm paid for it in 2020.
The rights to Swift's first six albums- "Taylor Swift," "Fearless," "Speak Now," "Red," "1989," and "Reputation", were purchased by retired music manager Scooter Braun in 2019 when his business, Ithica Holdings, purchased her previous label, Big Machine Records, as per a report by Page Six.
What led to Taylor Swift losing her masters in the first place?
Braun's business, Ithaca Holdings, purchased Swift's previous label, Big Machine Records, in 2019 along with her whole discography up till "Reputation."
Taylor Swift called Braun a "bully" and was sad over fact that she was never given a fair opportunity to recoup her life's work, expressing her heartbreak and frustration at the time.
Her decision to start re-recording and releasing her earlier albums under the moniker "Taylor's Versions" in 2021 was hailed by fans as both brilliant and empowering. Neither Swift nor Shamrock Capital have revealed the sale's actual price as of yet.
How did the repurchase finally happen?
She declared on her website earlier Friday that she could repurchase all of her original compositions.
After 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away, Swift acknowledged that she nearly lost faith in its possibility, but that is all in the past now.
As Taylor Swift has been candid about throughout the years, the emotional milestone signifies the conclusion of a protracted and highly visible struggle over ownership of her early work.
Swift announced on her website on Friday that the music she had been working on for decades is now hers. She declared that all of the music she has ever created now belongs to her, celebrating yet another milestone in her career, as per a report by The Blast.
FAQs
How much did Taylor Swift reportedly pay to repurchase her master's degree?
According to Billboard, the amount is around $360 million, though some sources claim the figures are exaggerated.
Which albums are included in the deal?
The masters of Taylor Swift's Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation are included.
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