Summary
- Taylor Swift has been in a battle to reclaim the masters of her first six studio albums from Scooter Braun, who purchased her previous label in 2019.
- Swift has been re-releasing her albums to regain control of her music and potential income from her previous label.
- Scooter Braun is moving away from talent management and has become the new CEO of Hybe America.
Taylor Swift is a creative mastermind, and she shows no sign of slowing down. Rising to fame in the 2000s after signing to Big Machine Records, the country singer-turned-pop star has been dominating charts, domestically and internationally, thanks to her back-to-back hit albums in the past few years.
However, things don't always look as good behind the stage. Following her exit from the label, the powerhouse singer has been in a lengthy battle to reclaim the masters of her first six studio albums, the record executive who purchased the label back in 2019. In other words, she doesn't even have the exclusive rights to her own songs. To sum it up, here's a timeline of what's going on between Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun.
Updated October 6, 2023: Taylor Swift is determined to re-release every one of her albums. In 2023, she's already released her own version of 'Speak Now'. Later this month, she'll re-release '1989', as well. As for Scooter Braun, he's moving away from talent management, and has been appointed as the new CEO of Hybe America.
12 2005: Taylor Swift, Then-Aspiring Singer, Signed With Scott Borchetta's Big Machine Records
In 2004, 15-year-old aspiring singer Taylor Swift met record executive Scott Borchetta. He was preparing to launch Big Machine Records, and young Swift became the imprint's first-ever signee a year later.
She later released her debut self-titled album in 2006. Her sophomore album, Fearless, and its follow-up, Speak Now, were released respectively in 2008 and 2010. BMR served as her home until her Reputation era in 2018.
11 2018: Swift Left Big Machine
Shortly after releasing her polarizing Reputation album in 2018, Swift left the label that made her name big and signed with Republic Records and Universal Music Group. In a lengthy Instagram post, she went on to thank Borchetta for "Believing in me as a 14-year old and for guiding me through over a decade of work that I will always be so proud of."
10 2019: Scooter Braun & His Company, Ithaca Holdings, Purchased Big Machine For $300 Million
A year later, Scooter Braun, record executive and the manager of Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, purchased Big Machine Records through his Itatcha Holding company. That means, the ownership of Swift's masters had moved to Braun. As reported by Billboard, the acquisition's price reportedly clocked at over $300 million and was aided by the Carlyle Group.
9 Swift Said She Hadn't Been Contacted Regarding The Sales
Not too long after the announcement, Swift bashed Braun and any other parties involved. According to her, she'd been attempting to regain the ownership of her masters, but Big Machine wouldn't allow her unless she signed another contract.
"I learned about Scooter Braun's purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world," she took to Tumblr. "All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I've received at his hands for years."
8 2020: Braun Sold The Master To Shamrock Capital For A Deal Worth More Than $300 Million
The feud reignited once again in October 2020, after the veteran manager sold Swift's masters to Shamrock Holdings in a deal believed to be worth over $300 million. As reported by Variety, the deal could balloon up to $450 million once certain earn-backs are being measured into consideration.
7 Swift Broke Her Silence About The Purchase
Not too long after the news broke, Swift took to social media to break her silence. Writing on Twitter, the "Shake It Off" singer said that the super manager was trying to "dismantle" her music legacy by selling her music for the second time without her knowing.
"Yet, to this day, none of these investors have bothered to contact me or my team directly — to perform their due diligence on their investment," she said. "To ask how I might feel about the new owner of my art, the music I wrote, the videos I created, photos of me, my handwriting, my album designs."
6 2020: BMR Released An Unauthorized Live Album Of The Singer
Subsequently, in April 2020, Big Machine Records released an old live album without her approval. Titled Live from Clear Channel Stripped, the sophomore live album features her 2008 performance and failed miserably to enter any Billboard chart.
"This release is not approved by me," she denounced the album on social media. "Just another case of shameless greed in the time of coronavirus. So tasteless, but very transparent."
5 2021: She Released A Re-Recorded Version Of Her 'Fearless' Album
In response to the recent fiasco, Swift intended to re-record all her BMLG-issued albums. That means, she could conceivably snatch any potential income from her previous label because fans and all commercial ventures will be using her re-recorded version. The first album, Fearless (Taylor's Version), was released in April 2021 and became the first re-recorded album to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
4 Another One, 'Red (Taylor's Version),' Was Released In November 2021
Later that year, the powerhouse singer shared her second re-release. Red (Taylor's Version) released in November 2021, tapping the likes of Ed Sheeran, Phoebe Bridgers, and Chris Stapleton for the features.
"I can’t express my gratitude enough to these artists for helping me bring these songs to life," she said via Instagram. "We’ll also be making a bunch of new ones too, since Red (Taylor’s Version) includes so many songs you haven’t heard yet."
3 In 2023, She Released 'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'
Swift is determined to re-release all of her albums, and in July 2023, she came out with her third offering. The fact that it was her third re-release certainly didn't dissuade fans from getting on board.
Per Forbes, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) sold so many copies that it was guaranteed a place in the Billboard Hot 200 - and that's without any streams.
