Pop superstar Taylor Swift has officially reclaimed the rights to her first six albums after the end of a years-long battle over ownership of her music.
“All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me,” Swift shared joyfully on her official website.
“You belong with me. 💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤,” she cleverly captioned an Instagram carousel, a nod to her 2008 hit of the same name from her album Fearless.
The saga dates back to 2019, when music executive Scooter Braun acquired Swift’s former record label, Big Machine, along with the master recordings of her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation.
Swift publicly objected to the deal, accusing Braun of enabling bullying against her and lamenting that she wasn’t given the chance to buy her music herself.
Swift had signed with Big Machine as a 14-year-old aspiring country star in 2004. As was common then, the label retained ownership of her master recordings in exchange for helping launch her career.
When her contract ended in 2018, Swift moved to Republic Records and Universal Music Group, only to see her earlier work sold without her knowledge a year later.
The ownership dispute deepened in 2020 when Braun sold the catalogue to Shamrock Holdings.
Despite initial interest in a partnership, Swift walked away upon learning Braun would continue to profit from her music.
Determined to take control, she began re-recording her albums under the “Taylor’s Version” banner, starting with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in 2021. These re-recordings not only delighted fans with improved production and bonus tracks but also reclaimed the commercial value of her old hits.
While four albums have been re-recorded so far, Swift admitted hitting a creative wall with Reputation, describing its themes of defiance and scrutiny as too closely tied to a specific time in her life. A new version remains on hold, though she confirmed her debut album has been successfully re-recorded.
Beyond personal victory, Swift’s fight has sparked broader conversations about artists’ rights in the industry.
“Every time a new artist tells me they negotiated to own their masters because of this, I’m reminded why this fight mattered,” she said.
The commercial success of her Eras Tour — which grossed over $2 billion — and her continued rise, with Forbes recently naming her the first musician to make $1 billion purely from music and performing, made this buyback possible.
“This is my greatest dream come true,” Swift wrote. “Thank you for caring. Every single bit of it counted.”
In related news, Selena Gomez cheered on Swift after it was revealed that Swift finally owns her masters.
“Yes you did that Tay,” Gomez wrote on her Instagram Story using all caps, adding, “So proud!”
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Gomez has supported Swift since their friendship began more than a decade ago. The two singers were introduced by the Jonas Brothers in August 2008 and have been besties ever since.
“We actually dated the Jonas Brothers together! It was hysterical,” Gomez told KISS FM UK in 2017.
“It was amazing, because [Taylor] was the girl with the big curly hair and all the bracelets and the cowboy boots. And I was definitely up-and-coming, and we just clicked,” the “Good For You” singer said — before jokingly adding, “It was the best thing we got out of those relationships.”
All parties involved have moved on. Swift has been dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce since October 2023. In December 2024, Benny Blanco and Gomez became engaged.
