Taylor Swift announced on May 30, 2025, that she had bought back the rights to her first six albums, ending many years of struggle to regain control of her music. This announcement, made on her social media accounts and official website, marks an important moment in her career and in the music industry.
The 35-year-old American artist successfully gained full ownership of the masters for her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation. These recordings were previously owned by a group of investors after being sold by her former music company, Big Machine Records. Taylor Swift bought them back for an amount estimated to be several hundred million dollars, although the exact figure has not been made public.
This victory is the most important moment in the conflict that began in 2019, when Taylor Swift publicly spoke out against the sale of her masters to Scooter Braun without her permission. This sale caused a strong debate about artist rights in the music industry. In reply, Taylor Swift began recording her old albums under the music company “Taylor’s Version,” a strategy that helped her regain some commercial and artistic control over her work.
The announcement of the buyback caused great emotion among her fans, who saw this step as a symbolic win for artists fighting to protect their rights. Her boyfriend, the American football player Travis Kelce, also shared his pride and support on social media.
Owning her master’s now gives Taylor Swift full control over the distribution, reproduction, streaming, and selling of her famous songs, strengthening her position as an independent artist and the owner of her musical legacy.
With this buyback, Taylor Swift once again shows she is an important figure in the industry, inspiring other musicians to claim their rights.