Taylor Swift Buys Back Rights To First 6 Albums: ‘All My Music Now Belongs To Me'
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In a major win for artists' rights, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the master recordings and visuals of her first six studio albums.
Taylor Swift has reclaimed full ownership of her earliest work. In a major win for artists' rights, the pop megastar has officially bought back the master recordings and visuals of her first six studio albums, music originally released under Big Machine Records. The catalog, which includes hit albums like Fearless, Red and 1989, was most recently held by Shamrock Capital. The deal marks the end of a years-long saga that saw Swift lose, fight for and now finally regain control of her musical legacy.
The acquisition was finalised for an undisclosed amount, though sources close to the matter say it was a fair, good-faith deal far below the billion-dollar figure that had been floated in earlier reports. According to insiders, the final price was likely closer to the $300 million Shamrock had paid in 2020 to purchase the rights from Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings. Swift has confirmed that Braun, with whom she has had a highly publicised feud, had no involvement in this sale.
In a heartfelt letter addressed to fans, Swift shared her joy over the milestone. 'To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it," she wrote. 'All I've ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to be able to one day purchase my music outright with no strings attached, no partnership, with full autonomy."
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She also expressed deep gratitude to Shamrock Capital for being the first entity to offer her this opportunity, even joking, 'My first tattoo just might be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead."
With this move, Swift now owns the master recordings, music videos, concert films, album photography, artwork, and typography associated with her Big Machine-era albums. This includes unreleased material and other assets that had been off-limits for years. Her deal grants her full creative and commercial control over every aspect of her work from that era.
Even though Swift now owns the originals, she has no plans to stop releasing her 'Taylor's Version" re-recordings, which were launched in response to losing her masters in 2019. Two such versions are still pending, Reputation (Taylor's Version) and her debut self-titled album—and Swift confirmed those are still on the way, albeit not urgently.
A source close to the deal said that the sale was driven entirely by Shamrock and Swift's management team, not any third party. 'Contrary to a previous false report, there was no outside party who 'encouraged' this sale," the source said. 'This moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him."
The timing of the buyback feels especially poetic. Swift's re-recordings not only gave her a path to reclaim her work but also led to the record-breaking Eras Tour, which further empowered her to finalise the deal.
Reflecting on her 20-year journey, Swift shared: 'I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away. But that's all in the past now." She concluded her message with the words she's waited years to say: 'All of the music I've ever made… now belongs… to me."
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