May 30, 2025 – In a move described as a "greatest dream come true", Grammy-winning artist Taylor Swift announced on Friday, May 30, that she has regained full ownership of her music catalog. The deal, made with investment firm Shamrock Capital, includes the master recordings of her first six studio albums, as well as music videos, concert films, album art, photography, and unreleased songs.
This milestone marks the resolution of a nearly six-year dispute that began in 2019. Swift's first six albums, from her self-titled debut in 2006 to Reputation in 2017, were recorded under a contract with Big Machine Records, founded by Scott Borchetta. This initial deal gave Big Machine ownership of the master recordings. While Swift had sought to purchase her masters for years, she stated that Borchetta offered her a chance to "earn" them back one album at a time by signing a new long-term contract, which she declined. Upon her departure from Big Machine in 2018, she signed a new deal with Universal Music Group, ensuring she would own all future masters created under that contract.
The dramatic saga intensified on June 30, 2019, when Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine Records from Scott Borchetta in a deal reportedly worth over $300 million. This acquisition included the rights to Swift's first six albums. Swift reacted to the sale in a lengthy Tumblr post the same day, expressing her dismay and labeling Braun an "incessant, manipulative bully". She cited examples of what she perceived as bullying from Braun, including a social media post by his client Justin Bieber featuring Kanye West and Braun, captioned "Taylor swift what up". Swift wrote that learning about Braun's purchase was "the worst-case scenario" and that he had "stripped [her] of [her] life’s work".
The dispute drew significant media attention and divided celebrities, with some supporting Swift and others defending Braun. Braun later stated that he regretted Swift's reaction and found it sad and confusing. He claimed he tried to sit down with her multiple times, but she refused, and he offered to sell her catalog back, but her team refused to sign an NDA.
In response to the sale, Swift publicly announced her intention to re-record her first six albums. By re-recording, she could create new master recordings that she would fully own, allowing her to control licensing and potentially devalue the original masters owned by others.
In November 2020, Braun sold Swift's original masters to Shamrock Capital for over 405 million or $360 million. Swift stated that she was alerted to this sale after the fact and that under the terms, Braun would continue to profit from her catalog for "many years". She declined Shamrock's offer to partner because Braun would still benefit financially, considering his participation a "non-starter". Shamrock stated they respected her decision, even though they had hoped to partner.
Swift proceeded with her re-recording project, releasing Fearless (Taylor's Version) in April 2021, Red (Taylor's Version) in November 2021, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) in July 2023, and 1989 (Taylor's Version) in October 2023. These releases were commercially successful, often outperforming the original albums and breaking records. The success of the re-recordings and her massive Eras Tour, where she performs her extensive catalog, contributed to her ability to buy back her music.
On May 30, 2025, the buyback from Shamrock Capital was announced. Swift shared an emotional statement on her website, expressing immense joy at owning her "entire life's work". She thanked Shamrock Capital for being the first to offer her the chance to purchase her music outright with "no strings attached, no partnership, with full autonomy," and for handling interactions honestly, fairly, and respectfully. A source close to negotiations told PEOPLE that Braun was not involved in this latest sale, and that it happened "in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him". When asked about the news, Braun reportedly stated, "I am happy for her".
Swift still plans to release re-recordings of her debut album and Reputation. She confirmed that she has completely re-recorded her debut and loves how it sounds, but has "haven't even re-recorded a quarter" of Reputation yet. She noted these albums can "re-emerge when the time is right," but it will be a "celebration now," not from sadness.
The price of the buyback was not officially disclosed, though reports cited a "nine-figure sum" with sources suggesting a figure similar to what Shamrock paid Braun, around $360 million. This victory has been widely seen as a watershed moment for artists' rights in the music industry. Swift has spoken about how her fight inspired other artists to negotiate ownership of their masters in their record contracts.
Online reactions from fans, sometimes referred to as Swifties, have been celebratory, viewing the outcome as a triumph and poetic justice. The concept of "Karma," a theme in her song of the same name, has often been invoked by fans in response to the conclusion of the dispute, seeing it as Swift getting what she deserves after the long battle. The news also prompted lighthearted references to her publicist, Tree Paine, suggesting she was hard at work ensuring the narrative emphasized Swift's victory over Braun.
For Swift, this moment is described as owning her "entire life's work", emphasizing the deep personal and artistic significance of the masters beyond just financial gain. As Swift wrote, "All of the music I've ever made... now belongs... to me".
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