Taylor Swift has officially regained ownership of her master recordings, ending a years-long dispute that reshaped the conversation about artists’ rights.
Ms. Swift, 35, announced the news Friday in a letter to fans posted on her website.
“I now own ALL of my masters, the recordings, the videos and every note in between,” she wrote.
The deal was struck with Shamrock Capital, the private equity firm that bought Ms. Swift’s original catalog from Scooter Braun in 2020. Mr. Braun, who bought Big Machine Label Group in 2019 without Ms. Swift’s involvement, became the face of the controversy.
Ms. Swift accused him of “manipulative bullying” and launched a public campaign to re-record her albums, but Mr. Braun offered a conciliatory tone following Friday’s news.
“I am happy for her,” he told Page Six in a statement.
Ms. Swift thanked her fans for supporting her “Taylor’s Version” re-recordings and the Eras Tour, crediting that momentum for giving her the leverage to close the deal.
“Thanks to you and your goodwill, teamwork, and encouragement, the best things that have ever been mine … finally actually are,” she wrote on her social media platforms.
A source close to the negotiations told TMZ, “Credit goes solely to the team at Shamrock Capital and Taylor’s Nashville-based management. She owns her music in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him.”
The price of the deal was not disclosed.
Ms. Swift has re-recorded and released four of her first six albums that were owned by Mr. Braun, and told fans Friday that she has fully re-recorded her self-titled debut album. But she said she has made slow progress on “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” due to the emotional toll of re-creating it.
For now, she told fans online, the focus is on celebrating.
• Emma Ayers can be reached at eayers@washingtontimes.com.
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