Taylor Swift Just Took Back Her Masters. Here's Why That Matters

After nearly two decades and a highly public legal battle, Taylor Swift now owns the master recordings of her first six albums. Yes, the original recordings, the ones she lost when her former label sold them to Scooter Braun without her consent.

She didn’t get a chance to buy them back then. She had to earn them one by one, tied to new recordings. So she did something bold: she rerecorded them. Album by album. Track by track. And now? She bought back the originals anyway.

Why Does This Matter?

Because artists deserve to own their work.

Because contracts signed at 19 shouldn’t trap you into losing the rights to your voice, your lyrics, your art.

Because creative control should mean legal control, too.

What Are ‘Master Recordings’?

Master recordings are the original, studio versions of a song or album. Whoever owns them gets to license, sell, and profit from the music. When Swift signed with Big Machine Records, it was standard: they owned the masters. She didn’t.

That changed in 2019 when Big Machine sold her catalogue to Braun. Swift wasn’t offered a fair deal to buy them herself. So she went to work: re-recording Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989, each tagged “(Taylor’s Version)” and filled with unreleased bonus tracks. They crushed sales. They beat chart records. They made her point.

Now she owns the originals too.

What Else Did She Get?

Everything. The music, the videos, the artwork, even the “From the Vault” songs that never made it to the albums. It wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it.

In Swift’s own words: “All the music I’ve ever made … now belongs … to me.”

Here’s the Legal Angle

Swift’s rerecording rights came from her role as the songwriter. That’s not true for every artist. Her ability to rerecord and profit from new versions gave her leverage and helped devalue the old ones. It’s a powerful example of how copyright law, when understood and applied strategically, can shift power back to the creator.

The Bigger Picture

Swift’s battle started a conversation. Today, more young artists are negotiating contracts that let them keep their masters. Especially women. Especially independents. Because of her.

So what’s the takeaway?

• If you’re an artist, creative, or entrepreneur, know what you’re signing.

• If you’re giving away rights, understand the trade-offs.

• If you feel like your work’s been taken from you, you might have options.

Need a contract reviewed? Wondering what rights you really have over your intellectual property? We can help.

At ARS Counsel, we help creators protect what they’ve built because they deserve to!