Taylor Swift says her mother and brother played a pivotal role in her regaining ownership of her master recordings in a landmark deal valued at about $360 million.
The 35-year-old superstar has long spoken about the battle to own the masters of her early work, including Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Reputation and her self-titled debut. In 2019, Scooter Braun acquired those masters for roughly $300 million, a move Swift publicly criticized, saying she wasn’t given a chance to buy them herself. The rights later changed hands to the investment firm Shamrock Capital.
Swift began re-recording her catalog under her own ownership after inking a deal with Universal Music Group and Republic Records in 2018, a move that laid the groundwork for her current ownership of the new recordings. The singer described the moment she learned she owned her music as “in heaven crying,” a reaction she shared during an appearance on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast.
A couple of months after the Kansas City Super Bowl appearance, Swift recalled, she received a call from her mother, Andrea Swift, saying, “You got your music.” Swift said she immediately dropped to the floor crying and later told Kelce she had to share the news with him in a “normal” way, since he had been gaming when the call came in.
Swift first announced the development publicly in May on her official website, writing that the moment felt like a life-changing realization after decades of hoping for a chance to tell the news. “All of the music I’ve ever made … now belongs… to me,” she said, describing the life-altering milestone.
With ownership now restored, Swift said she also owns the music videos, concert films, unreleased tracks, album art and photography tied to her work, describing the collection as encompassing “the memories, the magic, the madness, every single era, (my) entire life’s work.”
Why this matters: Regaining control of her masters marks a significant milestone for Swift and has broader implications for artists seeking ownership of their work. It also underscores the ongoing importance fans place on access to a complete and authoritative version of an artist’s catalog, including audiovisuals and associated materials.
What this means for fans and the industry: Expect continued expansion of Taylor’s Version releases, more personal curation of her legacy, and ongoing opportunities for listeners to engage with re-recorded tracks alongside the original recordings. It’s a hopeful reminder that artistic ownership can empower creators to shape how their work is presented and monetized for years to come.
Summary: Taylor Swift credits her mother and brother for helping her reclaim ownership of her master recordings in a $360 million deal, a milestone she celebrated after years of public frustration over previous ownership. The move expands her control over not just the music, but the videos, films and art surrounding her work, signaling a turning point in how she preserves and presents her life’s work.