Latest news with #musiccatalog
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Travis Kelce's sweetheart Taylor Swift - pop music superstar and Kansas City Chiefs superfan - issued a major career announcement this week as she was able to buy back her music catalog after a years-long battle.
Travis Kelce's sweetheart Taylor Swift - pop music superstar and Kansas City Chiefs superfan - issued a major career announcement this week as she was able to buy back her music catalog after a years-long battle. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Sweet and subtle. Taylor Swift - pop music superstar and Kansas City Chiefs superfan - issued a major career announcement this week as she was able to buy back her music catalog after a years-long battle. Swift celebrated with her pal and producer Jack Antonoff ... and with a symbol of her love for boyfriend Travis Kelce close by. Antonoff posted a video showing Swift listening to her "Reputation" album ... and Swifties noticed that she was wearing one of the custom bracelets that Swift and Kelce created early in their relationship. ... "TNT'' bracelets. Meanwhile, Kelce is showing the love to the business acumen of Swift. As the Chiefs get busy with OTAs underway and another Super Bowl as the clear goal, Swift is filling up her time with a major move in the entertainment world. For the first time since 2019, she now owns her entire music catalog - with Billboard reporting that it's a $360 million buy. The backstory ... In 2019, Swift's record label sold the rights to Scooter Braun, the controversial record executive who then then sold the 14-time Grammy Award winner's catalog of music to the investment firm Shamrock Capital. But now? Swift is speaking out as she revealed that she's now in control of her original music. She purchased her catalog from Shamrock Capital for an undisclosed amount. And Kelce is joining Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, in celebrating. "I'm trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a slideshow. As a flashback sequence of all the times I daydreamed about, wished for, and pined away for a chance to get to tell you this news," Swift said in a note to her fans. "I almost stopped thinking it could happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away. 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: All of the music I've ever made … now belongs ... to me." This is big news to Swifties. And it's big news to those in "the Chiefs family,'' too, including Brittany Mahomes, who reposted the announcement on Instagram and responded. "Just so amazing," Mahomes wrote on IG. And what does Travis have to say about it all? He showed his "love'' ... with a social-media "like'' on Taylor's account. See? Sweet and story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days 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
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Inside billionaire Taylor Swift's surprisingly lowkey celebration after buying back her music empire
Taylor Swift sent fans into a frenzy with a major announcement on Friday as she proudly revealed that she officially bought back her entire music empire. The Grammy winner, 35, penned a lengthy letter on her website to share the big news - after purchasing her music catalog from Shamrock Capital, which had acquired the rights from Scooter Braun one year earlier. The songstress had the chance to celebrate with longtime pal and music collaborator, Jack Antonoff. However, the pair surprisingly stayed lowkey and enjoyed a night in - which was shown in a reel that the record producer uploaded to X. In the 14-second clip, both Swift and Antonoff could be seen inside what appeared to be a spacious kitchen as they sang lyrics to the track Getaway Car from her 2017 Reputation album. Taylor Swift, 35, sent fans into a frenzy with a major announcement on Friday as she proudly revealed that she officially bought back her entire music empire; seen in 2024 in Vancouver The pair seemingly recreated a past viral BTS moment when they recorded the process of them working together on the song. Taylor was filmed opting for little to no makeup in the latest video while her blonde locks were easily swept up into a simple ponytail. She dressed down in a long-sleeved, gray sweatshirt as well as a pair of comfy shorts. At the beginning, Swift was also seen sweetly holding her cat Meredith as they sang, 'I'm in a getaway car...' The songstress then gently set her pet onto the floor to jump up and down as they both belted out, 'I left you in a motel bar/Put the money in a bag and I stole the keys/That was the last time you ever saw me.' Jack shared the singer's happy energy and sported a black jacket that had the name of his rock band Bleachers embroidered on the front. In the caption of the clip, Jack wrote to his followers on X, 'rep forever guilt free listening!' Swift and Antonoff began working together over a decade earlier when they collaborated on the song Sweeter Than Fiction in 2013 for the movie One Chance. In the 14-second clip, both Swift and Antonoff could be seen inside what appeared to be a spacious kitchen as they sang lyrics to the track Getaway Car from her 2017 Reputation album The pair seemingly recreated a past viral BTS moment when they recorded the process of them working together on the song Jack then helped with Taylor's 2014 album 1989 and co-wrote and produced three songs, such as Out Of The Woods. Aside from Getaway Car, other tracks from her Reputation album that he also co-wrote and produced included New Year's Day and Call It What You Want. Antonoff was involved with Taylor's other albums over the years such as Lover, Folklore and Evermore. He also worked with the award-winning music artist on her re-recorded albums and co-produced a majority of her From the Vault tracks. Jack earned two Grammys for Taylor's 2022 LP Midnights - which won Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year. Swift shared a letter to her fans on her official website - which was also teased on her main Instagram page on Friday as she posed with her first six studio albums. She acquired those six albums and associated visuals from their most recent owner, Shamrock Capital, for an undisclosed nine-figure sum. However, sources close to the contract negotiations claim the recent figure touted for the buy-back deal of 'between $600million-$1billion' is 'highly inaccurate.' Scooter Braun told 'I am happy for her.' 'To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it,' the star began. She said the fact she now owns the rights to all the music she has ever made has brought so much joy to her life she's been bursting into tears. Taylor wrote in her letter: 'I'm trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a flashback sequence of all the times I daydreamed about, wished for, and pined away for a chance to get to tell you this news. 'All the times I was thiiiiis close, reaching out for it, only for it to fall through. 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. I've been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening. I really get say to say these words: 'All of the music I've ever made… now belongs… to me.' '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.' Swift also added: 'I know, I know. What about Rep TV? 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. '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. '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 hatch. I've already completely re-recorded my album, and I really love how it sounds now. 'Those two 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. It will just be a celebration now.' Justin Bieber's old manager Scooter Braun's company Ithaca Holdings bought the catalog in 2019 before Shamrock acquired it from him a year later. Braun does not profit from the sale. And he was not involved in Shamrock's decision to sell the music. Taylor will be reissuing her old Big Machine albums. Those albums were first sold by Big Machine in 2019, something she was not happy with. There will be two fully authorized versions of each of those albums in the marketplace, since she's saying the re-recorded Taylor's Versions will continue to be available alongside the originals. Two of those bonus-filled editions have yet to come out, including the long-awaited Reputation (Taylor's Version). Her letter explained that this new arrangement will not prevent the remaining pair of redo albums from being released. Sources close to the contract negotiations claimed to MailOnline that the recent figure touted for the buy-back deal 'between $600million-$1billion' is 'highly inaccurate'. A different source told Billboard that Shamrock sold Swift's catalog back to her for a figure reportedly close to what they paid - around $360 million. Selena Gomez congratulated Swift by reposting the singer's post to her own Instagram stories. The Only Murders In The Building actress then added the sweet message: 'YES YOU DID THAT YAY!!! SO proud!' The singer's boyfriend Travis Kelce also showed his subtle support for her milestone and liked the Instagram post she uploaded on Friday. Just one day earlier on Thursday, the songstress stepped out for a night out with a her A-list buddy Dakota Johnson. The pair were joined by Swift's brother Austin and also Johnson's sibling Jesse as they grabbed a bite to eat at the Italian restaurant Via Carota. Taylor has been mainly staying out of the spotlight in recent months, but was spotted on a romantic date night with Kelce last week in Florida.
CNN
4 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Taylor Swift buys back her entire music catalog
Roughly six years after Taylor Swift protested the sale of her master recordings by her former record label, she now owns her entire catalog of music. Swift announced the news in a letter posted to her website.
CNN
4 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Taylor Swift buys back her entire music catalog
Roughly six years after Taylor Swift protested the sale of her master recordings by her former record label, she now owns her entire catalog of music. Swift announced the news in a letter posted to her website.
