Taylor Swift buys back the rights to her first albums: the story of a falling-out that rocked the music industry

To understand the background to this falling out, which was more economic than musical, we must go back to the beginnings of her career. In 2006, at just 16 years old, the Pennsylvania native released her first album, "Taylor Swift," in the country genre. Her second, "Fearless," released in 2008, became the best-selling album in the United States in 2009.

"Speak Now", "Red", "1989", and "Reputation" (released in 2017) will continue to establish the artist even more firmly in the American musical landscape, as he is now turning towards more pop sounds.

Problem: the The rights to these first six albums, a goldmine, were not held by Taylor herself, but by the label Big Machine Records, with whom she signed as a teenager. This type of arrangement was common in the music industry at the time. The "masters," these coveted original recordings used to make vinyl, CDs, and other digital copies, were one of the main sources of income for the artists who owned the rights.

In 2019, just as Taylor Swift had signed with Republic Records (where she would this time hold the rights to the masters of her subsequent albums), music industry mogul Scooter Braun bought the Big Machine label for $300 million, according to press reports. The man, who is also Justin Bieber's manager, thus got his hands on the majority of Taylor Swift's hit recordings. Furious, the artist felt "robbed" of her work.

Less than a year later, the unscrupulous manager, whom the thirty-year-old would later accuse of moral harassment , sold the lucrative rights to Shamrock Capital, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, for around $300 million. The pop star was furious, especially since she believed Scooter Braun would continue to profit from her music under the terms of the sale. It was at this point that she went on the offensive, in what would prove to be a historic masterstroke.

Armed with a solid army of lawyers, the ultra-popular teenage singer detected a flaw that would go down in music history, influencing the careers of countless artists after her. An owner could only hold the rights to the "masters" of albums, the original recordings. Why, then, limit themselves to these recordings dating back several years?

The American icon, who wrote or co-wrote most of her catalog and therefore retains the copyright on the lyrics, then embarked on the re-recording of four of her first albums , adding to these titles "Taylor's Version" (" Taylor's version" ). These reissues all enjoyed immense commercial success, often topping the charts upon their release. Helped, it must be said, by the unwavering involvement of her community, the "Swifties" , who fully supported the singer's approach.

Above all, the move helped raise public awareness of master ownership issues in the music industry. Taylor Swift, who had already declared war on streaming platforms and the compensation they pay, has become a symbol of many artists willing to defend their rights to control their careers.

And reap their rewards: Driven by subscriptions to streaming platforms , the global recorded music market experienced a tenth consecutive year of growth in 2024, with a record turnover of 29.6 billion dollars. Also helped by the global success of stars like Taylor Swift, the only singer to be a billionaire solely thanks to the revenue generated by her music.

"All I ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to one day be able to buy back the rights to my music, without constraints, without partnerships, with complete autonomy," the singer explained on Friday. Holding no grudges, she thanked Shamrock Capital for giving her the opportunity to buy back the rights to her early albums, including "Fearless" and "1989." The amount of the transaction was not specified.