Latest news with #ShamrockHoldings
Business Insider
10 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
In their investment era: Swifties celebrate helping their idol reclaim her music
Tori Cummins cried when she heard that Taylor Swift had bought back the rights to her original albums. The 32-year-old estimated she's spent around $700 on Taylor's Version vinyls and merch, and it was worth every penny. "All I could think of was like, 'oh, I will keep spending money on this woman," Cummins said, adding that she'd had to explain to a non-Swiftie why she felt the pop star's victory was hers, too. "It's so easy to be a fan of hers because at no point do you really feel like you aren't getting just as much as you put in." Last week, Swift announced that she had bought back her original master recordings for a reported $360 million. In a letter announcing the news, Swift cited the support of her fans through the Taylor's Version rerecordings and the Eras Tour as the reason she was able to make the acquisition. "Not to be parasocial or anything, but it is so cool to think about the fact that we did support her all throughout this Taylor's Version journey," Allie Buckman, a 19-year-old Swiftie in Kentucky, said. For Swifties, it's a gratifying end to a yearslong battle. They've been loyally listening to re-recorded "Taylor's Version" songs and abstaining from listening to the "stolen" versions since 2019 to avoid enriching mega-manager Scooter Braun and then Shamrock Holdings, from whom Swift made the purchase last week. It's also another prescient marketing move from the megastar: Fans are joking that their spending on the Eras Tour, which for many was in the hundreds or thousands, functioned as a form of GoFundMe for Swift to make the purchase. Crystal Haryanto, who started a course on Swift at UC Berkeley and is the author of the upcoming book, "The Glory of Giving Everything," on the star's business model, said the letter Swift wrote did more than express gratitude. It "reminds fans that they have equity in the music," though not legally, of course. "From a marketing perspective, presenting this milestone as a joint effort is conducive to sales of future albums," Haryanto said. "Fans are motivated to keep listening to her music because such actions appear to have a measurable impact on Swift's well-being—the dream of any fan toward their favorite person." For Kerry Weber, a 46-year-old Swiftie in marketing who attended the Reputation tour and multiple dates of the Eras Tour, said that Swift made several "genius" marketing moves in the lead-up to the masters acquisition, such as the re-recordings and adding new sets to the tour after the wildly successful concert film was released. Weber said that the sentiment among the "haters" was that Swift milked money from her fans — something she disputes. "I got something in return is how I look at it. I got to go to London with my daughter for the first time, and that was amazing. I don't care, she can have my money just for that alone," Weber, who estimated that she spent a few thousand dollars on a London trip for the Eras Tour, said. "And if that money bought back her masters, I think it's fantastic." Haryanto said that bridging the gap with fans has always been "foundational" to Swift's branding strategy. She described it as akin to attracting repeat customers in retail — it curates customers who not only come back, but get even more satisfaction from supporting the brand as a whole. "To know that the money I spent at a concert was going to something like this and was going to this project that I think will hopefully also change things for other artists and younger artists in the future — it's a really gratifying moment," Larissa Miles, a 26-year-old Swiftie in Minnesota, said. Bridget Doyle, a 30-year-old Swiftie in Boston who previously told BI she spent $1,500 on attending the Eras Tour, said that the masters move feels like a return on investment of 20 years of being a fan. "If anything, I think it's going to make fans want to spend more because I think fans get more of a direct, like I'm investing in you making this art in order to encourage you to continue making more art that we all enjoy and love," Doyle said. The move from Swift coincides with a larger conversation over intentional spending. Americans are participating in "Tesla Takedowns" over Elon Musk's political involvement and boycotting Target over the department store's DEI retreat. While Swift's music might not seem as pressing an issue, Swifties said that they like seeing their investments serve what they see as a great purpose. "It goes to show you that boycotting and supporting causes that matter to you make a difference," Brittany Michalski, a 36-year-old Swiftie, said. "What we do matters. And even if it's so a pop star can own her music, it's going to make a difference in the music industry for people who aren't as powerful as her."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rock Legend, 83, Sends a Bold Message to Taylor Swift
Rock Legend, 83, Sends a Bold Message to Taylor Swift originally appeared on Parade. Rock legend , 83, sent a bold message to after learning the "You Belong With Me" songstress purchased all of her master recordings. On May 30, Swift announced that she now owns her entire discography after 's company infamously sold it to Shamrock Holdings in 2020. She reportedly purchased the masters of her first six albums for $360 million, per Billboard. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 "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: All of the music I've ever made... now belongs... to me," Swift revealed on her website. "And all my music videos. All the concert films. The album art and photography. The unreleased songs. The memories. The magic. The madness. Every single era. My entire life's work." Not long after Swift's big news, King took to her Instagram Stories to react. "@taylorswift You continued to inspire! 🩷🫶🎶," the "You've Got a Friend" singer captioned her update alongside a photo of Swift throwing her hands in the air in celebration. The image has since circulated on X, with many Swifties weighing in on King's reaction. One fan declared, "The most legendary swiftie out there." Another X user shared, "Powerful women uplifting each other -love to see it!" Someone else confessed, "Omg, I'm bawling." Meanwhile, a different fan wrote, "Tay grandmother." Swift and King's friendship goes back years. In August 2024, King spoke about Swift during a virtual fundraising event for the Swifties for Kamala [Harris] coalition. "I am a Swiftie," King said in a clip shared via X. "Taylor and I are actually friends." She added, "We have had conversations backstage and, you know, I see her as, like, sort of my musical and songwriting granddaughter. And we have a lovely relationship, and I'm so proud of her." In 2021, Swift introduced King at her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. "I cannot remember a time when I didn't know Carole King's music," Swift said, in part, during her poignant speech "I was raised by two of her biggest fans, who taught me the basic truths of life as they saw it: That you should treat people the way you want to be treated, that you must believe that you can achieve whatever you want to in life, and that Carole King is the greatest songwriter of all time." We love seeing stars support stars! Next: Rock Legend, 83, Sends a Bold Message to Taylor Swift first appeared on Parade on Jun 1, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Sky News
6 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Taylor Swift buys back rights to all master recordings - but it's bad news for Reputation fans
Taylor Swift has bought back all the rights to her master recordings - but has suggested she won't be re-releasing her Reputation album. "All the music I've ever made now belongs to me," the star announced on her official website. "I've been bursting tears of joy... ever since I found out this is really happening."2 The popstar had originally lost the rights to her first six albums in 2019 when her first record label, Big Machine, sold them to music executive Scooter Braun. Swift said she was not given the opportunity to buy her work outright, and so had instead been meticulously re-recording them, releasing four "Taylor's Version" albums. Just her debut album and Reputation remain to be re-released. Braun later sold his stake in her albums to Shamrock Holdings, a Los Angeles investment fund. Swift said she was "forever grateful" to Shamrock for allowing her to buy the rights to her music back. On the release of Reputation she said she had "not even re-recorded a quarter of it", and while she said that the album and her debut album could "have their time to re-emerge when the time is right", she said: "If it happens, it won't be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have." Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Billionaire Taylor Swift splashes out MILLIONS to end bitter record label feud as she takes back control of music empire
TAYLOR Swift finally controls all her music after buying back her "stolen" masters from her first six albums. The music icon, 35, has confirmed she's bought the rights back to her music from Shamrock Holdings for a fee thought to be in the hundreds of millions. Advertisement 3 3 It means her six year long battle to own her own work is finally over. Earlier this month reports claimed Scooter Braun was encouraging a possible sale. However, a source close to contract negotiations has strongly shutdown these claims. A source close: "Contrary to a previous false report, there was no outside party who 'encouraged' this sale. Advertisement "All rightful credit for this opportunity should go to the partners at Shamrock Capital and Taylor's Nashville-based management team only. "Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him." The row kicked off in June 2019 after music manger Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Label Group - Taylor's old record label. The mega-bucks deal was worth $300 million. Taylor and Scooter were already music industry enemies as Scooter was managing rapper Kanye West at the time he and his then wife Kim Kardashian repeatedly lashed out at Taylor online. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity In 2020 Scooter sold the masters and all the rights to Taylor's tracks to Shamrock. In a post to Tumblr in June 2019, Taylor told fans bosses refused to sell her own back catalogue to her unless she agreed to be locked into a new recording contract with them. Taylor wrote: "'For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. 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.' Advertisement Speaking in 2019, Taylor hit out at the CEO of Big Machine Records Scott Borchetta for selling her back catalogue from under her. She told CBS: 'I knew he would sell my music, I knew he would do that. "I couldn't believe who he sold it to. Because we've had endless conversations about Scooter Braun, and he has 300 million reasons to conveniently forget those conversations.' That same year Taylor vowed to take on the system and announced she would re-record her first six albums, Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation. Rather than simply being something for herself, the decision embolized her fans selling millions of copies around the globe. Advertisement Each "Taylor's Version" record also included a series of never before heard vault tracks. 3
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Billionaire Taylor Swift splashes out MILLIONS to end bitter record label feud as she takes back control of music empire
TAYLOR Swift finally controls all her music after buying back her "stolen" masters from her first six albums. The music icon, 35, has confirmed she's bought the rights back to her music from Shamrock Holdings for a fee thought to be in the hundreds of millions. 3 3 It means her six year long battle to own her own work is finally over. Earlier this month reports claimed Scooter Braun was encouraging a possible sale. However, a source close to contract negotiations has strongly shutdown these claims. A source close: "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. "Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him." The row kicked off in June 2019 after music manger Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Label Group - Taylor's old record label. The mega-bucks deal was worth $300 million. Taylor and Scooter were already music industry enemies as Scooter was managing rapper Kanye West at the time he and his then wife Kim Kardashian repeatedly lashed out at Taylor online. In 2020 Scooter sold the masters and all the rights to Taylor's tracks to Shamrock. In a post to Tumblr in June 2019, Taylor told fans bosses refused to sell her own back catalogue to her unless she agreed to be locked into a new recording contract with them. Taylor wrote: "'For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. 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.' Speaking in 2019, Taylor hit out at the CEO of Big Machine Records Scott Borchetta for selling her back catalogue from under her. She told CBS: 'I knew he would sell my music, I knew he would do that. "I couldn't believe who he sold it to. Because we've had endless conversations about Scooter Braun, and he has 300 million reasons to conveniently forget those conversations.' That same year Taylor vowed to take on the system and announced she would re-record her first six albums, Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation. Rather than simply being something for herself, the decision embolized her fans selling millions of copies around the globe. Each "Taylor's Version" record also included a series of never before heard vault tracks. 3
