Taylor Swift Buys Back Masters of First Six Albums
Taylor Swift Reclaims Her First Six Albums in Bold Move
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has officially regained ownership of her first six studio albums, marking a major victory in her long battle for creative control. She bought back the masters and visuals from investment firm Shamrock Holdings, ending a six-year dispute that began in 2019.
A Dream Come True for Swift
Swift revealed the buyback with heartfelt thanks to her fans, calling it the realization of her long-time dream. She pledged to honor her early music and the journey it represents.
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The Backstory: Lost and Found
In 2019, music manager Scooter Braun’s company acquired Big Machine Records, which held Swift’s original masters. Swift strongly opposed the deal, citing a lack of control and her past issues with Braun. As a result, she began re-recording her early albums under the title “Taylor’s Version.”
In 2020, Braun sold the catalog to Shamrock Holdings for a reported $300 million. Swift had no say in the transaction and refused to partner with Shamrock due to Braun's continued involvement. Now, she has purchased the rights directly from Shamrock—this time with no Braun connection.
Don’t mind us, we will just be crying happy tears for Taylor all weekend… pic.twitter.com/xr9C0oJqLV
— Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) May 30, 2025
What the Deal Includes
The deal gives Swift complete control of:
The masters of her first six albums
All visuals and artwork
Music videos and concert films
Rights to unreleased songs
She now owns the original albums as well as the re-recorded “Taylor’s Version” releases. Fans will now have access to both the original recordings and Taylor’s Versions.
???? TAYLOR SWIFT JUST BOUGHT BACK HER ENTIRE LIFE’S WORK!!! ???? pic.twitter.com/Yx0MFmMRRl
— Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) May 30, 2025
????| Taylor Swift officially owns all her music! Congratulations to her!! pic.twitter.com/yerRT76FPw
— Taylor Swift Updates (@13TSNews) May 30, 2025
Swift’s Next Chapter: Reissues, Debut Album & Reputation
Two more re-recordings remain unreleased: Reputation (Taylor’s Version) and Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version), her debut album. Swift confirmed that this latest purchase will not delay the release of either project.
