On May 30, 2025, Taylor Swift announced that she had purchased the master recordings of her first six albums from Shamrock Capital. In a letter on her official website, she said the deal also included music videos, concert films, album art, photography and unreleased songs. Neither Swift nor contemporaneous reporting disclosed the purchase price.
What Swift announced in her letter
Swift described the transaction as a return of control over the original recordings: “All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me.” She thanked Shamrock for giving her the opportunity to buy the catalog, writing, “I will be forever grateful to everyone at Shamrock Capital for being the first people to ever offer this to me.” Read the letter on Swift’s official website. The Associated Press also confirmed the purchase and reported Shamrock’s response: “We are thrilled with this outcome and are so happy for Taylor.”
The scope she described went beyond audio masters. Her letter named music videos, concert films, album art, photography and unreleased songs as part of what she acquired. This is the scope as Swift described it; the announcement does not establish every publishing, songwriting or other contractual right associated with her broader catalog.
Which albums are involved?
The purchase concerns the original master recordings of Swift’s first six Big Machine albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation. Swift signed with Big Machine in 2005, and the label retained the original masters under that arrangement. Big Machine’s catalog went to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2019; Shamrock acquired the masters in 2020. Swift bought them from Shamrock in 2025. The Guardian’s account of the ownership timeline notes that Swift had not previously owned these original masters.
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How much did Taylor Swift pay?
The price was not disclosed. The Associated Press reported that Swift did not reveal the amount, and The Guardian said the terms were not public. Estimates published elsewhere should not be treated as confirmed deal terms.
What happens to the Taylor’s Version recordings?
The purchase is separate from Swift’s rerecording project: ownership of the original masters changed, while the rerecorded albums remain distinct recordings. In her May 30 letter, Swift said four Taylor’s Version albums had been released: Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). CBS News lists the four releases and summarizes her comments.
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Swift said her rerecordings, fan support and the Eras Tour helped make it possible for her to buy the music. She also addressed the two remaining albums. The debut rerecording was complete, she said, but had not been released. On Reputation (Taylor’s Version), she wrote, “Full transparency: I haven’t even re-recorded a quarter of it.” She did not announce release dates for either project.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the letter mattered to Swift
Swift framed the purchase as the fulfillment of a long-standing goal: “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.” Her letter presented the rerecordings and the eventual purchase as connected parts of that effort, while making clear that the transaction with Shamrock had now changed who owned the original masters.
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