Masters Controversy
In June 2019, the masters to Taylor’s first six studio albums were acquired by talent manager Scooter Braun as part of his purchase of Big Machine Records, Taylor’s record label until 2018. Taylor revealed that she had been attempting to buy back her masters since she was a teenager, but Big Machine had reportedly offered terms she considered unfavorable. She publicly condemned Braun’s acquisition, calling him an “incessant, manipulative bully.” Big Machine’s former president Scott Borchetta claimed that Taylor had passed on an opportunity to purchase the masters herself, a statement that was later proven false. The controversy sparked extensive media coverage and public debate, bringing attention to issues of artists’ rights, intellectual property, and industry ethics.
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Background
In 2005, Taylor signed a 13-year record deal with Big Machine Records, a Nashville-based label led by Scott Borchetta. The contract granted Big Machine the rights to Taylor’s first six albums in exchange for a cash advance. Between 2006 and 2017, she released six studio albums under the label: Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), RED (2012), 1989 (2014), and reputation (2017).
Acquisition of Big Machine Records
Taylor’s decision to re-record her early albums was sparked by the dispute over the ownership of her master recordings. In 2018, she parted ways with Big Machine Records, the label she had been signed to since the start of her career, and signed a new contract with Universal Music Group. Crucially, this deal ensured that she would own the master recordings of any future albums released through Republic Records, Universal’s subsidiary.
In 2019, just as Taylor was preparing to release her seventh studio album, Lover, talent manager Scooter Braun’s company acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters to Taylor’s first six albums. The sale sparked a highly publicized dispute, as Taylor had long been vocal about her desire for full artistic and business control over her work:
In 2019, just as Taylor was preparing to release her seventh studio album, Lover, talent manager Scooter Braun’s company acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters to Taylor’s first six albums. The sale sparked a highly publicized dispute, as Taylor had long been vocal about her desire for full artistic and business control over her work:
«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. I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past. Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums. [...] When I left my masters in Scott’s hands, I made peace with the fact that eventually he would sell them. Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. [...] Thankfully, I am now signed to a label that believes I should own anything I create. Thankfully, I left my past in Scott’s hands and not my future. And hopefully, young artists or kids with musical dreams will read this and learn about how to better protect themselves in a negotiation. You deserve to own the art you make.»
In response, Borchetta published a blog post titled “It’s Time For Some Truth” on the Big Machine website. On June 25, 2019, Big Machine shareholders and Braun’s Ithaca Holdings held a phone call regarding the transaction. Taylor’s father, Scott Swift, who held a 4% minority stake in Big Machine, did not join the call due to a “very strict” non-disclosure agreement. A final call took place on June 28, during which Scott Swift was represented by a lawyer from Taylor’s management company, 13 Management.
Borchetta later claimed that he had texted Taylor on June 29, challenging her assertion that she had been unaware of Braun’s acquisition beforehand. He denied that Taylor had been hostile toward Braun and shared a text message he alleged Taylor sent before signing with Republic Records, in which she supposedly agreed to a seven-year contract with Big Machine on the condition that she retained ownership of her audiovisual works. Borchetta said he countered with a ten-year contract offer. The authenticity of the text message has not been independently verified, and the statements have been widely viewed as an attempt to cast doubt on Taylor’s account of events.
Borchetta later claimed that he had texted Taylor on June 29, challenging her assertion that she had been unaware of Braun’s acquisition beforehand. He denied that Taylor had been hostile toward Braun and shared a text message he alleged Taylor sent before signing with Republic Records, in which she supposedly agreed to a seven-year contract with Big Machine on the condition that she retained ownership of her audiovisual works. Borchetta said he countered with a ten-year contract offer. The authenticity of the text message has not been independently verified, and the statements have been widely viewed as an attempt to cast doubt on Taylor’s account of events.
Subsequent Disputes
In November 2019, Taylor accused Braun and Borchetta of blocking her from performing her older songs at the American Music Awards and from using her early material in the 2020 documentary Miss Americana. Big Machine initially denied the claims but later stated they had “agreed to grant all licenses of their artists’ performances” for streaming and rebroadcast—without specifically mentioning Taylor. Dick Clark Productions, the awards’ producer, disputed ever approving such a statement.
Following the controversy, Braun said he had received death threats from fans and sought to discuss the matter with Taylor. In April 2020, Big Machine released Live from Clear Channel Stripped 2008, a live album Taylor said she had not authorized, condemning it as “shameless greed.”
Following the controversy, Braun said he had received death threats from fans and sought to discuss the matter with Taylor. In April 2020, Big Machine released Live from Clear Channel Stripped 2008, a live album Taylor said she had not authorized, condemning it as “shameless greed.”
Change Master Ownership and Sales
Following the initial acquisition of Taylor’s first six studio albums by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2019, the masters changed hands several times, each sale further fueling the controversy surrounding her back catalog. In October 2020, Braun sold the masters to Shamrock Capital for $405 million, a move Taylor described as “out of her hands” and emblematic of the industry’s disregard for artists’ control over their work. She was reportedly offered an equity stake in the deal but declined, unwilling to maintain a financial connection to Braun or Ithaca Holdings.
Re-Recording of Back Catalog
After the multiple sales of her masters, Taylor embarked on an unprecedented plan to regain control over her early work: re-recording her first six studio albums. The decision was both strategic and personal. By creating new versions—branded as “Taylor’s Version”—she could reclaim ownership of her songs, while simultaneously devaluing the original masters that were held by Scooter Braun and later Shamrock Capital.
The re-recordings allowed Taylor to reimagine her music on her own terms, giving her full creative and financial control over the recordings. Fans quickly embraced the new versions, streaming and purchasing them in record numbers, effectively shifting the commercial value away from the original masters. Songs like “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” not only charted again, but also became cultural events, cementing the re-recordings as a bold statement of artistic autonomy.
Through this approach, Taylor accomplished more than just reclaiming her back catalog. She turned a personal and professional setback into a powerful demonstration of how artists can assert ownership over their work, inspire fans to rally behind them, and reshape industry practices regarding master recordings.
The re-recordings allowed Taylor to reimagine her music on her own terms, giving her full creative and financial control over the recordings. Fans quickly embraced the new versions, streaming and purchasing them in record numbers, effectively shifting the commercial value away from the original masters. Songs like “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” not only charted again, but also became cultural events, cementing the re-recordings as a bold statement of artistic autonomy.
Through this approach, Taylor accomplished more than just reclaiming her back catalog. She turned a personal and professional setback into a powerful demonstration of how artists can assert ownership over their work, inspire fans to rally behind them, and reshape industry practices regarding master recordings.
Reactions
Taylor’s public opposition to the acquisition of her masters was widely regarded as groundbreaking. While disputes over master ownership have long affected artists such as Prince, The Beatles, Janet Jackson, and Def Leppard, Taylor was one of the few to make her battle so public. Her posts sparked support from peers like Selena Gomez, Halsey, Sky Ferreira, and Iggy Azalea, who agreed that artists should own their music, while others, including Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato, defended Braun’s character and insisted the matter wasn’t personal. Inspired by Taylor’s fight, Olivia Rodrigo negotiated to own her own masters, and Joe Jonas expressed interest in re-recording the Jonas Brothers’ catalog.
Rolling Stone named the masters dispute one of the 50 most important music industry moments of the 2010s, noting that Taylor leveraged her fanbase and visibility to assert herself as a self-made artist. The Guardian highlighted how the dispute reflected a shift in the digital era, where artists increasingly claim ownership and reduce reliance on labels. Variety observed that Taylor’s public re-recordings empowered fans to influence business disputes, while Elle and The New Yorker praised the “(Taylor’s Version)” branding as ingenious. Money Marketing noted the controversy as an instructive lesson in risky investing.
Several of Taylor’s 2020 songs reference the dispute. On folklore, critics highlighted “my tears ricochet” and “mad woman” for nods to Borchetta and Braun, while evermore’s bonus track “it’s time to go” encapsulates her defiance: “Now he sits on his throne in his palace of bones, praying to his greed. He’s got my past frozen behind glass, but I’ve got me.”
Rolling Stone named the masters dispute one of the 50 most important music industry moments of the 2010s, noting that Taylor leveraged her fanbase and visibility to assert herself as a self-made artist. The Guardian highlighted how the dispute reflected a shift in the digital era, where artists increasingly claim ownership and reduce reliance on labels. Variety observed that Taylor’s public re-recordings empowered fans to influence business disputes, while Elle and The New Yorker praised the “(Taylor’s Version)” branding as ingenious. Money Marketing noted the controversy as an instructive lesson in risky investing.
Several of Taylor’s 2020 songs reference the dispute. On folklore, critics highlighted “my tears ricochet” and “mad woman” for nods to Borchetta and Braun, while evermore’s bonus track “it’s time to go” encapsulates her defiance: “Now he sits on his throne in his palace of bones, praying to his greed. He’s got my past frozen behind glass, but I’ve got me.”
Acquisition by Taylor
On May 30, 2025, Taylor shared a monumental update through a letter posted to her official website: she finally owned it all. Every song, every master recording—her entire life’s work. The announcement marked the end of an eight-year battle that began when Big Machine sold the master recordings of her first six albums without her consent. After a six-year pursuit, she had successfully bought back her catalog from Shamrock Capital for $360 million. “The memories,” she wrote. “The magic. The madness. Every single era. My entire life’s work.”
The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. Taylor’s fight was never just about her own music. It was about reshaping the conversation around artistic ownership in the music industry. She stood for the rights of musicians to control the art they create, taking on a system that had long denied even the most legendary artists that power. From Prince to Joni Mitchell, generations of musicians had spoken about the importance of owning their masters, but few had ever achieved it.
At just 35, Taylor had done what once seemed impossible: she reclaimed ownership of her legacy, setting a new precedent for artist autonomy in the modern music era.
The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. Taylor’s fight was never just about her own music. It was about reshaping the conversation around artistic ownership in the music industry. She stood for the rights of musicians to control the art they create, taking on a system that had long denied even the most legendary artists that power. From Prince to Joni Mitchell, generations of musicians had spoken about the importance of owning their masters, but few had ever achieved it.
At just 35, Taylor had done what once seemed impossible: she reclaimed ownership of her legacy, setting a new precedent for artist autonomy in the modern music era.
«All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me. To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it. To my fans, you know how important this has been to me—so much so that I meticulously re-recorded and released four of my albums, calling them Taylor’s Version. The passionate support you showed those albums and the success story you turned 'The Eras Tour' into is why I was able to buy back my music. I can’t thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now.»
General Information
| Year of Masters Sale by BMLG | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Year of Masters Acquisition by Taylor | |
| Event | Scooter Braun acquired Taylor Swift’s first six album masters |
| Source of Acquisition | Purchase of Big Machine Records, Taylor’s former label until 2018 |
| Taylor’s Response | Re-recording her first six studio albums |
Re-Recordings Announcement
Ownership Announcement
Explainer Video
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