Taylor Swift
Reading, Pennsylvania
Lost the rights to her first six albums, re-recorded them, then bought the originals back.
6 eras · 17 stops
- Origin
- Release
- Deal
- Business
- Turning point
- Controversy
- Legacy
- 1
2004–2009
Nashville prodigy
- 2004Origin
Moving for music
Her family moves to Hendersonville, outside Nashville, so she can chase country music. She signs a songwriting deal at 14.
- 2005Deal
Big Machine
Signs with Scott Borchetta’s brand-new label. The label will own the masters of her first six albums.
- 2006Release
Tim McGraw
Her debut single, written in freshman math class.
- 2010Legacy
Fearless wins it all
Fearless wins Album of the Year. At 20, she’s the youngest winner at the time.
- 2
2012–2016
Going pop
- 2014Release
1989
Goes fully pop and wins her second Album of the Year.
- 2014–2015Business
Taking on streaming
Pulls her music from Spotify over free streaming, then gets Apple Music to pay artists during free trials with one open letter.
- 3
2016–2018
Reputation
- 2016–2017Controversy
The snake era
After the Kanye phone-call drama, she disappears, then comes back with Reputation.
- November 2018Deal
Republic Records
Leaves Big Machine for Universal’s Republic Records and keeps ownership of her future masters.
- 4
2019–2020
The masters fight
- June 2019Turning point
Scooter Braun buys her past
Braun’s company buys Big Machine, and with it the masters to her first six albums. She says she never got a fair chance to buy them.
- 2020Release
Folklore and Evermore
Two surprise lockdown albums. Folklore wins her third Album of the Year.
- November 2020Business
Sold again
Braun sells the masters to investment firm Shamrock Capital for a reported $300 million or more.
- 5
2021–2023
Taylor’s Version
- 2021–2023Release
Re-recording everything
Re-records Fearless, Red, Speak Now and 1989 so fans can stream versions she owns. The 10-minute ‘All Too Well’ hits No. 1.
- 6
2023–now
Eras and ownership
- 2023–2024Business
The Eras Tour
The first tour ever to gross over $2 billion.
- February 2024Legacy
Album of the Year, again
Midnights makes her the first artist to win Album of the Year four times.
- May 2025Deal
Buying them back
Buys back the masters to her first six albums from Shamrock Capital.
- August 2025Turning point
Engaged
Announces her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce.
- October 2025Release
The Life of a Showgirl
Moves about 4 million units in its first week, breaking Adele’s US record.
The playbook
The moves worth stealing.
- 01
Read your contract, then fight for what it didn’t give you.
- 02
If you can’t buy it, remake it. Taylor’s Version made the old masters worth less.
- 03
Your fans are leverage. Every re-recording became an event.
- 04
Make every era its own world.
This is the outline.
Every stop gets its own deep dive next, with the songs, the receipts and a quiz.