Taylor Swift is officially in full control of her music—and for the first time, every song she’s ever made is truly hers.
Nearly six years after her original masters were sold without her consent to Scooter Braun, the 35-year-old superstar has finally reclaimed ownership of her entire catalog. That includes her first six albums—everything from her self-titled debut through Reputation.
On Friday (May 30), Taylor broke the news in a heartfelt open letter to fans, posted on her website.
“Hi. I’m trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a slideshow. A flashback sequence of all the times I daydreamed about, wished for, and pined away for a chance to get to tell you this news,” she wrote.
“All the times I was thiiiiiiiiiiiiis close, reaching out for it, only for it to fall through. I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled then yanked away. But that’s all in the past now,” she continued. “I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening. I really get to say these words: All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me.”
But it’s not just the albums—Taylor now owns everything: the music videos, concert films, album artwork, photography, and even the vault songs. She wrote, “And all of my music videos. All the concert films. The album art and photography. The unreleased songs. The memories. The magic. The madness. Every single era. My entire life’s work.”
The drama dates back to 2019, when Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Records—Taylor’s former label—from founder Scott Borchetta. That deal included the masters of Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), and Reputation (2017). Since then, Taylor has been on a mission to re-record and release Taylor’s Version albums, which fans have supported passionately.
“To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it,” Taylor wrote. “To my fans, you know how important this has been to me – so much so that I meticulously re-recorded and released 4 of my albums, calling them Taylor’s Version. The passionate support you showed those albums and the success story you turned The Eras Tour into is why I was able to buy back my music. I can’t thank you enough for helping me reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but I have never owned until now.”
She also thanked Shamrock Capital—the firm that gave her a fair shot at owning her masters. “All I’ve ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to be able to one day purchase my music outright with no strings attached, no partnership, with full autonomy,” she said. “I will be forever grateful to everyone at Shamrock Capital for being the first people to ever offer this to me. The way they’ve handled every interaction we’ve had has been honest, fair, and respectful… My first tattoo might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead.”
Naturally, fans are now asking: what about Reputation (Taylor’s Version)?
“I know, I know. What about Rep TV? Full transparency: I haven’t even re-recorded a quarter of it,” she admitted. “The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life… To be perfectly honest, it’s the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn’t be improved upon by redoing it.”
Still, she teased that the Reputation vault tracks and her re-recorded debut album could eventually have their moment. “But if it happens, it won’t be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have. It will just be a celebration now.”
Taylor closed with a message about the ripple effects of her fight for ownership. “I’m extremely heartened by the conversations this saga has reignited within my industry among artists and fans… Every single bit of it counted, and ended us up here.”
“Thanks to you and your goodwill, teamwork, and encouragement. The best things that have ever been mine… finally actually are. Elated and amazed, Taylor.”
To top it all off, Taylor celebrated in New York City over dinner with best friend Selena Gomez. The pair were spotted chatting over a cozy meal at Monkey Bar—because of course, what’s a major victory without your ride-or-die by your side?
