Latest news with #ScooterBraun
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift Finally Owns All of Her Old Music
Taylor Swift has regained control of her recorded music catalog six years after her old label, Big Machine Label Group, sold it to Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings. The singer announced the purchase in a lengthy letter, writing, 'All of the music I've ever made now belongs to me.' Swift announced the news this morning with a note to fans on her website, as well as a handful of photos on Instagram showing her with vinyl copies of her original records. 'You belong with me,' she captioned the post. More from Rolling Stone How Taylor Won Taylor Swift Got Her Old Albums Back, But Her Re-Records Were Still a Massive Success Taylor Swift's Vinyl Records Are on Sale After Revealing She Now Owns All of Her Music The deal, as Swift wrote, covers not just the rights to her music, including unreleased tunes, but all of her music videos, concert films, album art, photography, and unreleased songs. And there are, of course, equally meaningful, more ephemeral aspects of the deal: 'The memories. The magic. The madness,' Swift wrote. 'Every single era. My entire life's work.' It's unclear how much the deal is worth, but a source tells Rolling Stone that a previously reported price range of close to $600 million, which emerged when rumors of the sale first started circulating, was 'highly inaccurate.' In her letter, Swift said that calling regaining control over her catalog her 'greatest dream come true' was 'actually being pretty reserved about it.' She thanked her fans for all their support, suggesting that the massive success of the Eras Tour and efforts to rerecord her old albums made it possible for her to buy back her music. 'I can't thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but never owned until now,' 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.' Swift went on to say that she was grateful to Shamrock Capital — which has owned the rights to her catalog since 2020 — for 'being the first people to ever offer this to me,' saying their handling of the deal was 'honest, fair, and respectful.' A source close to the contract negotiations also pushed back against what was described as a 'previous false report' that there was an 'outside party' — Braun — who was encouraging the sale back to Swift. 'All rightful credit for this opportunity should go to the partners at Shamrock Holdings and Taylor's Nashville-based management team only,' the source said. 'Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him.' Braun, in a statement shared with Rolling Stone, said, 'I am happy for her.' Ithaca's 2019 acquisition of Big Machine launched one of the most fascinating music industry sagas in recent years. While Big Machine owned the rights to music by an array of top country acts (Reba McEntire, Midland, and Sugarland, to name a few), Swift's first six albums were arguably the crown jewels, and a major reason the sale was valued at around $300 million. By the time Ithaca acquired Big Machine in summer 2019, Swift had already left the label and signed with Universal Music Group (the deal included provisions that would allow her to retain control of her master recordings). As Swift wrote in a blog post at the time, she was aware that, after leaving Big Machine, CEO Scott Borchetta was likely to sell the label — but she never expected Braun to be the buyer. In that same post, Swift highlighted her contentious history with Braun, largely via his work with her longtime foe, Kanye West. She claimed, for instance, that Braun got West and Justin Bieber 'to bully' her online amid the fracas over the leaked phone call regarding a lyric about Swift in West's song 'Famous.' Swift said she was 'sad and grossed out' over the deal, and claimed that any time Borchetta heard her speak Braun's name, 'it was when I was either crying or trying not to.' On top of all that, though, was Swift's desire to simply own the rights to her catalog. 'For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work,' she wrote. 'Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and 'earn' one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future. I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past.' Within a few months of the sale, Swift began teasing her ambitious response: She would rerecord her first six albums, thereby reclaiming some control over the music, while ostensibly diluting the value of the original recordings. In 2021, she launched her Taylor's Version campaign with rerecords of Fearless and Red, both of which were followed in 2023 by Speak Now and 1989. (Along with new versions of the original albums, the projects also included an array of previously unreleased tunes now known as 'vault tracks,' which were also rerecorded.) As for the future of that project, Swift said in her letter today that her 2006 self-titled debut has been 'completely re-recorded,' adding, 'I really love how it sounds now.' But her rerecord of 2017's Reputation is far from complete — 'I haven't even re-recorded a quarter of it' — and Swift admitted she wasn't sure if she would ever finish it. 'The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life, and I kept hitting a stopping point when I tried to remake it,' she said. 'All that defiance, that longing to be understood while feeling purposely misunderstood, that desperate hope, that shame-born snarl and mischief. To be perfectly honest, it's the one album in those first six that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it. Not the music, or photos, or videos. So I kept putting it off.' Swift went on to say she may share the unreleased Reputation 'vault tracks' at some point, but didn't give any release details. Nor did she share when the rerecord of Taylor Swift would see the light of day. 'Those 2 albums can still have their moments to reemerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about,' she said. 'But if it happens, it won't be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have. It will just be a celebration now.' Before Swift had originally begun the rerecord project though, her catalog changed hands again. Just over a year after the Big Machine acquisition, Braun's Ithaca Holdings sold Swift's catalog to Shamrock Capital in a deal reportedly worth over $300 million. Prior to that sale, Swift revealed, she'd been trying to get back control of her masters, but claimed that Braun's team was, as part of the deal, demanding she sign 'an ironclad NDA' that would prevent her from speaking negatively about him. Swift also said she considered partnering with Shamrock until she found out that the deal terms would still result in Braun profiting off her old recordings for 'a very long time.' Braun, for his part, later expressed some regret over his handling of the Big Machine acquisition and Swift catalog sale. In a 2022 interview on NPR's The Limits podcast, he admitted to coming from 'a place of arrogance,' assuming that he and Swift could work things out. 'The regret I have there is that I made the assumption that everyone, once the deal was done, was going to have a conversation with me, see my intent, see my character and say, great, let's be in business together,' he said. 'And I made that assumption with people that I didn't know.' Swift concluded her note today by mentioning a massive positive that has come from this saga: The attention it's brought to the hurdles that artists face in trying to control and own their creative output. 'Every time a new artist tells me they negotiated to own their master recordings in their record contract because of this flight, I'm reminded of how important it was for all of this to happen,' Swift wrote. 'Thank you for being curious about something that used to be thought of as too industry-centric for brand discussion. You'll never know how much it means to me that you cared. Every single bit of it counted and ended us up here.' This story was updated at 1:24 p.m. ET with a statement from Braun. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift Got Her Old Albums Back, But Her Re-Records Were Still a Massive Success
It was one of the most ambitious musical endeavors ever, as well as one of the most implacable and successful: Taylor Swift's decision to re-record her back catalog after Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings acquired the rights to her first six albums when it purchased Swift's old label, Big Machine. Swift began teasing this project just months after the Ithaca/Big Machine deal closed in 2019, but it wasn't until 2021 that she officially launched the Taylor's Version campaign. She went on to drop re-recorded versions of four albums, starting with Fearless and Red, followed by Speak Now and 1989. Along with completely redoing the original albums, Swift also shared new versions of previously unreleased tunes, most notably a 10-minute version of her masterpiece, 'All Too Well.' More from Rolling Stone How Taylor Won Taylor Swift's Vinyl Records Are on Sale After Revealing She Now Owns All of Her Music Taylor Swift Reveals Why She Hasn't Released 'Reputation TV' Yet: 'I Kept Hitting a Stopping Point' The logic behind the Taylor's Version campaign was bitingly to-the-point: The re-records would allow her to reclaim some control over her music, while it would also ostensibly dilute the value of the original recordings. Swift's fans, devoted as ever, greeted each release with characteristic enthusiasm, and all four Taylor's Version albums topped the Billboard 200 albums chart. On Friday, May 30, Swift announced that she'd finally bought back the rights to her first six albums from Shamrock Holdings (which acquired the catalog from Ithaca in 2020). Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Swift wrote in a letter she was able to complete purchase thanks to the massive success of the Eras Tour and the 'passionate support' her fans showed the re-records. By the numbers, the success of the Taylor's Version records is remarkable. According to data from Luminate, all four albums have garnered at least two billion on-demand streams in the United States since their release, through May 22. Fearless and Speak Now accumulated 2.7 billion and 2.1 billion streams, respectively; Red has racked up 7.5 billion streams; and 1989 has led all four albums with an astonishing 8.2 billion streams. Each re-release spawned several successful singles as well, with new versions of old hits like 'Love Story,' 'Wildest Dreams,' 'Style,' and 'State of Grace' cracking the Top 20 again. While none of those re-recorded songs charted quite as high as the originals ('Love Story' peaked at Number Four, while the TV reached Number 11, for instance), Swift's re-record of her Speak Now favorite 'Enchanted' peaked way higher on the Hot 100 (Number 19) than its original ever did (Number 75). Unsurprisingly, where Swift saw the most success in terms of singles was the 'From the Vault' tracks. Her 10-minute version of 'All Too Well' from Red (Taylor's Version) went to Number One on the Hot 100, becoming the longest chart-topper in history to boot. Meanwhile, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) spawned the vault hit 'I Can See You,' which reached Number 5, while 1989 (Taylor's Version) featured several Top 10 hits: 'Is It Over Now?' (which also hit Number One), 'Now That We Don't Talk,' 'Suburban Legends,' and 'Slut!' Many of Swift's vault collaborations did well, too. 'I Bet You Think About Me' with Chris Stapleton reached Number 22; 'You All Over Me' with Maren Morris hit Number 51; and 'Nothing New' with Phoebe Bridgers peaked at Number 43. Still, the reality of Swift's massive popularity and the tremendous impact of those first six albums, meant it would be difficult for any re-record to outright match, or surpass, the success of the original records. The one that definitely achieved this feat was 1989, with Taylor's Version selling more than 1.3 million copies during its first week, just surpassing the 1.28 million the original sold during its opening week. (Ironically, the announcement of the 1989 re-record caused streams of the original album to double, with fans seeking out the LP in anticipation.) But within the context of the Taylor's Version project, the four re-releases almost certainly achieved their primary objectives: Entertain fans and keep them more engaged than they already were during a four-year span during which Swift also dropped two totally new albums — Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department — and toured the world. And, most importantly, the drew listeners away from the original recordings she did not own. Data from Luminate shows that the Taylor's Version records were a whopping success in this regard. In the period between each TV album release and May 22, only one original album outperformed the re-record: Fearless, which racked up a surprisingly impressive four billion streams compared to the 2.7 for the Taylor's Version. Meanwhile, the original Speak Now was streamed two billion times, just below the Taylor's Version tally of 2.1 billion. As for Red and 1989, the TVs were substantially more successful than the originals. After Red (Taylor's Version) arrived in late 2021, it picked up 7.5 billion streams while the original earned just 3.7 billion. And following the release of 1989 (Taylor's Version) in October 2023, it garnered 8.2 billion streams while the original picked up a comparatively measly three billion. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Scooter Braun Is ‘Happy' Taylor Swift Bought Back Her Masters
After a contentious feud, Scooter Braun says that he is "happy for" Taylor Swift, now that she has the rights to her entire music catalog. On May 30, the "Cruel Summer" singer revealed that Shamrock Capital had allowed her to buy back her music, music videos, concert films, photography, and more, with "no strings attached." In 2019, Swift announced to the world that she was going to re-record her entire music catalog after Scooter Braun acquired her music. At the time, she called it her 'worst case scenario' and described how she had pleaded with Big Machine's Scot Borchetta for years 'for a chance' to own her work. Instead, she revealed that she had only been given 'the opportunity to sign back up at Big Machine Records and 'earn' one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in.' 'I learned about Scooter Braun's purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world. All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I've received at his hands for years,' she wrote at the time. 'Scooter has stripped me of my life's work, that I wasn't given an opportunity to buy…' she continued. 'Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.' Braun, who has since stepped away from artist management, told The Hollywood Reporter in a brief statement on Friday that he is 'happy for her' and left it at that. Additionally, a source told PEOPLE magazine that reports claiming that Scooter encouraged Shamrock to make the deal were false, and that the entrepreneur was not involved in the deal in any way. 'Contrary to a previous false report, there was no outside party who 'encouraged' this sale. All rightful credit for this opportunity should go to the partners at Shamrock Capital and Taylor's Nashville-based management team only,' the source revealed. 'Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him.' Since 2019, Swift has released 'Fearless (Taylor's Version),' 'Red (Taylor's Version),' "Speak Now (Taylor's Version),' and '1989 (Taylor's Version),' leaving many wondering what the fate would be for 'Reputation (Taylor's Version),' and the re-recording of her debut album. Although she told fans that she has re-recorded her debut album, she had less promising news about 'Reputation (Taylor's Version),' leaving some fans to suspect that the full album may not ever be released in its entirety. 'Full transparency: I haven't even re-recorded a quarter of it. The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life, and I kept hitting a stopping point when I tried to remake it,' she told her followers in a lengthy letter published on May 30. 'All that defiance, that longing, to be understood while feeling purposely misunderstood, that desperate hope, that shame-born snarl and mischief.' 'To be perfectly honest, it's the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it,' she revealed. 'Not the music, or photos, or videos. So I kept putting it off. There will be a time (if you're into the idea) for the unreleased Vault tracks from that album to watch.' 'I've already completely re-recorded my entire debut album, and I really love how it sounds now,' she continued. 'Those 2 albums can still have their moments to re-emerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about.' 'But if it happens, it won't be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have,' she added. 'It will just be a celebration now.' In her letter, Swift admitted that she never thought that she would be able to acquire her full music catalog again. 'I almost stopped thinking it would ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away,' she wrote. 'But that's all in the past now. I've been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening. I really get to say these words.' Further down in her letter, she thanked Shamrock Capital for giving her the chance to buy her music back with 'no strings attached' to their offer. '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,' she continued. 'I will be forever grateful to everyone at Shamrock Capital for being the first people to ever offer this to me.' 'The way they've handled every interaction we've had has been honest, fair, and respectful,' she added. 'This was a business deal to them, but I really felt like they saw it for what it was to me: my memory and my sweat and my handwriting and my decades of dreams. I am endlessly thankful. My first tattoo might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Travis Kelce Quietly Approves Of Taylor Swift Buying Back Her Masters
Singer Taylor Swift has some good news to share, and Travis Kelce is right there to help her enjoy every moment of it! The "Cruel Summer" singer revealed on Friday, May 30, that she had finally bought back the rights to her music catalog after Scooter Braun picked up her masters in 2019. After several years, Swift revealed that Shamrock Capital had finally agreed to give her back the rights to her music with "no strings attached." Over five million people liked Taylor Swift's announcement within three hours of her post, and the Kansas City Chiefs' tight end was one of them, once again showing his support for his girlfriend. Comments were disabled on the post, but fans were quick to celebrate on social media platforms like X, the website formerly known as Twitter, and Reddit. 'You belong with me,' she wrote in the caption along with heart emojis of various colors. Photos showed Swift sitting on the floor, dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, with her albums spread around her to celebrate the fact that her music is, once again, hers. Following her announcement, Swift's first name, 'taylor,' started trending online along with 'Rep TV' and '1989 TV.' One of her songs, 'Better Than Revenge,' was also trending, along with 'Debut TV' and 'Swiftie.' Although 'Fearless (Taylor's Version),' 'Red (Taylor's Version),' "Speak Now (Taylor's Version),' and '1989 (Taylor's Version),' have already been released, fans are concerned that she might never release 'Reputation (Taylor's Version)' after a shocking revelation she made in her lengthy letter. In her lengthy letter, the 'Love Story' singer revealed that although she has completed re-recording her debut album, the same can't be said for 'Reputation (Taylor's Version),' which would be the last album to be released. 'Full transparency: I haven't even re-recorded a quarter of it. The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life, and I kept hitting a stopping point when I tried to remake it,' she revealed. 'All that defiance, that longing, to be understood while feeling purposely misunderstood, that desperate hope, that shame-born snarl and mischief.' 'To be perfectly honest, it's the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it,' she continued. 'Not the music, or photos, or videos. So I kept putting it off. There will be a time (if you're into the idea) for the unreleased Vault tracks from that album to watch.' However, there is good news for fans who are looking forward to the release of her debut album, as she revealed that it is already finished. Although she admitted that she loves how it sounds, she did not hint at a release date for the new music. 'I've already completely re-recorded my entire debut album, and I really love how it sounds now,' she wrote. 'Those 2 albums can still have their moments to re-emerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about.' 'But if it happens, it won't be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have,' she added. 'It will just be a celebration now.' Although Scooter Braun told The Hollywood Reporter that he is 'happy for her,' he had no part to play in this recent development, despite recent reports. One insider told PEOPLE magazine on Friday that he did not 'encourage' the sale in any way. 'Contrary to a previous false report, there was no outside party who 'encouraged' this sale. All rightful credit for this opportunity should go to the partners at Shamrock Capital and Taylor's Nashville-based management team only,' the insider shared. 'Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him.' Instead, the "Karma" singer clearly thanked Shamrock Capital for giving her the opportunity to own her music once more in her letter. '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,' she wrote. 'I will be forever grateful to everyone at Shamrock Capital for being the first people to ever offer this to me.' She went on to say, 'This was a business deal to them, but I really felt like they saw it for what it was to me: my memory and my sweat and my handwriting and my decades of dreams. I am endlessly thankful."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Much Did Taylor Swift Really Pay for Her Masters? Conflicting Reports Spark Debate
just reclaimed her legacy and her fans and famous friends are celebrating. The global superstar, who officially joined the billionaire club last year, announced Friday that she has successfully purchased the master recordings of her first six studio albums. The emotional milestone marks the end of a long and very public battle over ownership of her early music, something Taylor Swift has been open about over the years. Despite reports that she paid over a billion dollars to retrieve ownership of her music, a source told PEOPLE Magazine, "the rumored price range that was reported is highly inaccurate." According to a separate source who spoke to Billboard, Swift paid an estimated $360 million to buy the rights from Shamrock Capital, the private equity firm that previously purchased her catalog from music manager Scooter Braun in 2020. The amount is said to be close to what Shamrock initially paid for the rights after Braun's company, Ithaca Holdings, acquired Swift's former label Big Machine Records in 2019, and with it, her entire catalog up through "Reputation." At the time, Swift expressed her heartbreak and frustration, calling Braun a "bully" and lamenting that she was never offered a fair chance to buy back her life's work. 'Scooter has stripped me of my life's work, that I wasn't given an opportunity to buy,' she said in a now-famous Tumblr post. The ordeal led her to begin re-recording and releasing her previous albums as 'Taylor's Versions' in 2021, a move that fans praised as both brilliant and empowering. At this time, neither Swift nor Shamrock Capital has yet to disclose the true price of the sale. On Friday, the 14-time Grammy winner took to her website to share the news she never thought she'd be able to say. The music she spent decades creating is finally hers. 'I'm trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a slideshow,' Swift began in a heartfelt, handwritten-style message to fans. 'A flashback sequence of all the time I daydreamed about, wished for, and pined away for a chance to get to tell this news. All the times I was thiiiiiiiiiiis close, reaching out for it, only for it to fall through.' She continued, '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.' Swift, whose "Eras Tour" completely shattered records and whose latest album "The Tortured Poets Department" debuted at No. 1, said the moment has brought her to tears, in the best way possible. 'I've been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening,' she shared. 'I really get to say these words: All of the music I've ever made … now belongs … to me.' The acquisition includes her self-titled debut ("Taylor Swift") and fan-favorite albums like "Fearless," "Speak Now," "Red," "1989," and "Reputation," the very works that launched her into superstardom. Taylor Swift is feeling the love, and it's coming from her closest friends. Just hours after the 14-time Grammy winner revealed she officially owns the rights to her original music catalog, longtime bestie was among the first to celebrate the milestone. 'YES YOU DID THAT TAY!!!' Gomez wrote on her Instagram Stories alongside a heartfelt message of pride. 'SO proud!' The 'Single Soon' singer has long stood by Swift, and the two have been vocal about their friendship for years. Gomez wasn't the only one to celebrate the "Love Story" singer. Her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end , showed his support in a subtle yet meaningful way by "liking" the post. The post also received a wave of love from several of Swift's other famous friends and collaborators. Sportscaster , who is widely believed to have played a behind-the-scenes role in introducing Swift to Kelce, gave the post a like. So did actress , tour mates and Gracie Abrams, and even and , two members of Swift's growing inner circle ever since she began dating Kelce.
