Taylor Swift may finally own her original albums
What's the story
Pop star Taylor Swift is reportedly on the brink of regaining the original recordings of her first six albums.
This comes after a contentious sale of these masters to music executive Scooter Braun in 2019, which caused a significant rift between Swift and Braun.
The master recordings were bought by Braun for $300 million, prompting Swift to re-record them as "Taylor's Versions."
Reacquisition
Braun's involvement in the potential deal
The original albums that are being negotiated for reacquisition are Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation. Braun sold the recordings to Shamrock Capital in 2020, making a profit.
Ironically, Braun is now said to be encouraging Shamrock to sell the recordings back to Swift.
"One of the individuals who's encouraging this deal to take place is Scooter, who was at the center of the deal the first time around alongside Big Machine," a source told Page Six.
Financial aspect
The potential financial implications for Swift
If Swift chooses to buy back her masters, the price tag could be anywhere between $600 million and $1 billion. Still, the investment could greatly expand her earnings.
Clayton Durant, founder of CAD Management, explained, "If she could claw back and create a deal structure where she could get the rights to her original recordings, she exponentially increases the amount of money she makes."
Incident
What had happened in 2019?
When her masters were first sold, Swift took to social media to express her discontent. She claimed she was never given the opportunity to buy them and was unaware of the deal.
In 2019, Braun's Ithaca Holdings acquired Swift's former label, Big Machine Records, in a substantial $300 million deal. This acquisition included Swift's first six albums.
However, Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta maintained she had an opportunity to buy back her masters.
Family involvement
Was Swift's father involved in sale of recordings first time?
Interestingly, Swift's father, who was a shareholder in Big Machine, reportedly made $16 million from the sale.
Emails from that time show Scott Swift contributed to a "data room" for the company that purchased the masters.
Hence, Shamrock Capital wants to ensure Swift is aware of the current deal.
The news of the deal comes a day after Swift teased Taylor's Version of Reputation in a teaser clip of The Handmaid's Tale.