Taylor Swift Reclaims Rights to First Six Albums
The singer regains control over her original recordings from a previous investment firm.
American singer Taylor Swift has announced that she has regained ownership of the masters and original recordings of her first six albums.
This acquisition involved a transaction with Shamrock Capital, an investment firm, which previously owned these rights from 2019 to 2020. Swift described the previous ownership as an example of 'toxic male privilege'.
This development allows Swift to fully control her body of work, which includes albums ranging from _Taylor Swift_ (2006) to _Reputation_ (2017), encompassing distribution, streaming, and licensing rights.
Swift's journey began in 2004 when, as a teenager, she signed a standard record deal with Big Machine Records, granting its founder, Scott Borchetta, the rights to her first six albums.
The contractual agreement subjected her early work to Borchetta's control until he sold his label in 2019 to talent manager Scooter Braun for approximately $300 million.
In 2018, Swift signed a new contract with Universal Music, which ensured that she retains the masters for her future albums, albeit the initial six albums remained under Borchetta’s ownership until the recent acquisition.
The transaction details, including the financial specifics, have not been disclosed.
Swift's reclaimed rights mark a significant event in her career and raise discussions regarding artists' rights to their own music in the industry.
This acquisition involved a transaction with Shamrock Capital, an investment firm, which previously owned these rights from 2019 to 2020. Swift described the previous ownership as an example of 'toxic male privilege'.
This development allows Swift to fully control her body of work, which includes albums ranging from _Taylor Swift_ (2006) to _Reputation_ (2017), encompassing distribution, streaming, and licensing rights.
Swift's journey began in 2004 when, as a teenager, she signed a standard record deal with Big Machine Records, granting its founder, Scott Borchetta, the rights to her first six albums.
The contractual agreement subjected her early work to Borchetta's control until he sold his label in 2019 to talent manager Scooter Braun for approximately $300 million.
In 2018, Swift signed a new contract with Universal Music, which ensured that she retains the masters for her future albums, albeit the initial six albums remained under Borchetta’s ownership until the recent acquisition.
The transaction details, including the financial specifics, have not been disclosed.
Swift's reclaimed rights mark a significant event in her career and raise discussions regarding artists' rights to their own music in the industry.
