Taylor Swift's Bold Move: Reclaiming Ownership Of Her Music

Discover how <strong>Taylor Swift</strong> took a bold stand to reclaim ownership of her music and the impact it had on the music industry. Learn about her journey to regain control of her catalog.

Taylor Swift has become one of the most iconic singers of the past decade. Not only has she won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards four times, but she has also been at the forefront of a unique battle for the rights to her songs. The American star has shed light on the inner workings of the music industry that prevent artists from owning their own work. In Swift's case, she not only lends her voice to her songs but also writes every single lyric.

As a result, she made an unprecedented decision to regain the rights to all her songs: re-recording her first six albums to devalue the originals. These re-recordings, released under the label Taylor's Version, have far exceeded sales expectations.

In 2018, Swift shocked the world by leaving her longtime record label, Big Machine Records, to join Universal with a unique contract that gave her greater control over her music. This move surprised many, as Swift had always had a close relationship with Scott Borchetta, the CEO of Big Machine Records who had given her a chance when she was just 16. They grew together and released six albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation.

In 2019, Swift spoke out against the situation, stating that she could not bear to have an antagonist own all her work. This injustice garnered immense support from fans and colleagues, leading her to re-record her albums to render the $300 million purchase of her catalog meaningless.

Swift's re-recordings have been a commercial success, with Love Story (Taylor's Version) and Fearless (Taylor's Version) leading the way. She has also released additional songs called From The Vault to add extra value to the albums.

With the release of Red (Taylor's Version) in 2021 and Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and 1989 (Taylor's Version) in 2023, Swift reclaimed the number 1 spot on the charts. Despite this success, Scooter Braun sold Swift's songs to Shamrock Holdings for another $300 million, refusing to negotiate with the singer.

Swift's upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, will be her eleventh studio album and the fifth since joining Universal. Once she releases Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version) and Reputation (Taylor's Version), she will own all her compositions.

Song	Published on
I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Remix)	14 December 2016
I Don't Wanna Live Forever	15 January 2017
I Don't Wanna Live Forever (We Rabbitz & Chelsea Collins Remix)	16 January 2017
I Don’t Wanna Live Forever	28 January 2017
I Don’t Wanna Live Forever	28 January 2017
Look What You Made Me Do	26 August 2017
Gorgeous	21 October 2017
…Ready For It?	28 October 2017
Call It What You Want	04 November 2017
…Ready For It? (Remix)	15 December 2017
End Game	13 January 2018
Delicate	12 March 2018
Babe	21 April 2018
Delicate (Vertical Version)	16 May 2018
Me!	27 April 2019
Me!	27 April 2019
Me!	27 April 2019
Me! (Miles Away Remix)	03 May 2019
You Need To Calm Down	15 June 2019
You Need To Calm Down	15 June 2019
You Need To Calm Down	18 June 2019
The Archer	24 July 2019
Lover	17 August 2019
Lover	23 August 2019
The Man	24 August 2019
I Forgot That You Existed	24 August 2019
Paper Rings	24 August 2019
False God	24 August 2019
Cornelia Street	24 August 2019
It’s Nice To Have A Friend	24 August 2019
London Boy	24 August 2019
Death By A Thousand Cuts	24 August 2019
I Forgot That You Existed	24 August 2019
Afterglow	24 August 2019
The Man	24 August 2019
Daylight	24 August 2019
Cruel Summer	24 August 2019
Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince	24 August 2019
Soon You’ll Get Better	24 August 2019
I Think He Knows	24 August 2019
Beautiful Ghosts	15 November 2019
Lover Remix	22 November 2019
Lover Remix	23 November 2019
Christmas Tree Farm	06 December 2019
Christmas Tree Farm	06 December 2019
Only The Young	31 January 2020
The Man	08 February 2020
The Man	28 February 2020
The Story Of Us	26 May 2011
Teardrops On My Guitar	17 June 2009
White Horse	17 June 2009

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