Taylor Swift, the pop superstar who achieved billionaire status last year, has secured a monumental victory in her long-running battle for ownership of her master recordings. Billboard reports that Swift shelled out a reported $360 million to reacquire the rights to her first six albums: *Taylor Swift*, *Fearless*, *Speak Now*, *Red*, *1989*, and *Reputation*. This marks a significant turning point in her career and a powerful statement about artist ownership in the music industry.
The conflict began in 2019 when Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine Records, the original owner of Swift’s masters. Swift, unable to purchase her own music at the time, publicly expressed her devastation and accused Braun of bullying tactics. Although Braun later sold the rights to Shamrock Capital, Swift’s fight for control continued. In a strategic move, she began re-recording her albums as “Taylor’s Version” in 2021, reclaiming her artistic legacy while simultaneously building pressure to regain ownership of the originals.
Swift shared her elation in an emotional message on her website, stating, “I’ve been crying tears of joy since I found out this is actually happening. Now I can say these words: all the music I’ve ever created… belongs to me.” While *Reputation (Taylor’s Version)* and her debut album remain to be re-released, Swift assures fans they will receive their due attention in the future. Scooter Braun, who has largely remained silent on the matter, offered a statement to Page Six expressing his happiness for Swift’s success.
In a more personal note on her site, Swift revealed some of the emotional weight she carried during the long process of trying to reclaim her work. She shared that she tried multiple times to re-record *Reputation*, but ultimately decided against releasing a Taylor’s Version, fearing it wouldn’t match the original. She explained that any future albums released will be created from a place of joy and not from the pain of missing her early works.
This momentous deal isn’t just a personal triumph for Swift; it solidifies her position as one of the most influential artists in the music industry, demonstrating her power to redefine the terms of her own success and setting a powerful precedent for other artists seeking to regain control of their creative output. This victory serves as a resounding reminder of the importance of artists owning their work and the lengths they will go to protect their creative legacy.
