Taylor Swift has officially regained ownership of her master recordings, marking a major milestone in her career — and inspiring her to joke about getting her first-ever tattoo.
In a heartfelt message shared on her website on May 30, the 14-time Grammy winner announced that, with support from private equity firm Shamrock Capital, she has successfully bought back the rights to her masters nearly six years after they were sold to music executive Scooter Braun.
“I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening,” Swift, 35, wrote. “I really get to say these words: All of the music I’ve ever made … now belongs … to me. And all 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.”
In a lighthearted aside, Swift quipped, “My first tattoo might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead,” a nod to Shamrock Capital’s role in the transaction. The company previously purchased the rights to her catalog from Braun in 2020.
The singer also praised Shamrock for handling the latest development in an “honest, fair and respectful” way.
Swift has previously stated her hesitance toward tattoos. In a 2012 interview with Taste of Country, she said, “I don’t think I could ever commit. If I was going to get something, it would be a 13, but I don’t want to get a tattoo.” Her recent comments suggest her feelings may have evolved, at least in jest.
A source close to the negotiations told People that the deal was the result of persistent work by Swift’s Nashville-based management team and Shamrock Capital. The source also disputed recent reports suggesting that Braun played a role in encouraging the sale.
“Contrary to a previous false report, there was no outside party who ‘encouraged’ this sale,” the source stated. “All rightful credit for this opportunity should go to the partners at Shamrock Capital and Taylor’s Nashville-based management team only. Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him.”
Braun’s acquisition of Swift’s original masters dates back to June 2019, when his company, Ithaca Holdings, acquired Big Machine Records, the label that signed Swift in 2005. In response, Swift launched a re-recording campaign of her first six studio albums — a move that not only allowed her to reclaim her art but also earned critical and commercial success.
Now, with full ownership of her catalog secured, Swift enters a new era — one defined by creative and legal independence.
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