Her boss era: Taylor Swift buys her early master recordings

The deal with Shamrock gives the singer-songwriter control over ‘all of the music I’ve ever made’.

Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour. Picture: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP

Taylor Swift’s yearslong battle over ownership of her early catalog ended in a major win for the popstar, who announced Friday (Saturday AEST) she bought her master recordings from Shamrock Capital Advisors.

“I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away,” Swift said on her website. “But that’s all in the past now. I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening. I really get to say these words: All of the music I’ve ever made…now belongs…to me.”

Swift didn’t disclose a deal value.

“We are thrilled with this outcome and we are so happy for Taylor,” Shamrock said in a statement.

Swift’s tussle over the rights to her first six albums were thrust into public in 2019 when music titan and celebrity-talent manager Scooter Braun bought Big Machine, the independent label that signed the popstar in 2005 when she was 15. In 2020, after much backlash from Swift, who had feuded with Braun, he sold her master recording rights to Shamrock.

Swift had been trying to negotiate ownership of her work since fulfilling her record deal with Big Machine. She said she had been in discussion with Shamrock at the time of the deal with Braun, and ultimately didn’t approve of that deal because Braun continued to financially benefit from her work.

Swift began rerecording her early work and has released four albums with the “Taylor’s Version” moniker. Those versions she owns include: “Fearless,” “Red,” “Speak Now,” and “1989.” She also launched the Eras Tour, the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, which reinvigorated interest in and brought new fans to her entire recorded music catalog.

“I’m extremely heartened by the conversations this saga has reignited within my industry among artists and fans,” she said. “Every time a new artist tells me they negotiated to own their master recordings in their record contract because of this fight, I’m reminded of how important it was for all of this to happen.”