On local time May 30th, American singer Taylor Swift announced via social media that she had fully repurchased the master recordings copyright of her first six albums for $360 million, encompassing audio recordings, music videos, live performance footage, and unreleased materials. This transaction marks the conclusion of a six-year copyright dispute with her former record label, Big Machine, and her former manager, Scooter Braun, reigniting industry-wide discussions about creators' control over their works.
当地时间5月30日，美国歌手泰勒·斯威夫特通过社交媒体宣布，以3.6亿美元完成对前六张专辑母带版权的全面回购，涵盖录音、MV、现场视频及未公开素材等。此次交易标志着其与前唱片公司Big Machine及经纪人Scooter Braun长达六年的版权纠纷画上句点，创作者对作品的控制权争夺再引行业热议。
In 2019, Big Machine was acquired by Scooter Braun for $300 million, resulting in the transfer of ownership of Taylor Swift's early works' copyrights. The conflict between the two parties escalated due to the breakdown of negotiations over copyright ownership and a "non-disparagement clause for life." Taylor Swift publicly accused Braun of "bullying" her creative career and launched the "Taylor's Version" re-recording initiative to counter the loss of control over her copyrights. Today, re-recorded albums such as "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" have achieved commercial success, with fans rallying behind the cause of "fighting for creators' freedom."
2019年，Big Machine被Scooter Braun以3亿美元收购，泰勒的早期作品版权随之易主。双方矛盾因版权归属及“终身不得贬损条款”谈判破裂而激化，泰勒曾公开指责对方“霸凌”其创作生涯，并启动“Taylor's Version”重录计划，以对抗版权失控。如今，重录专辑《Fearless (Taylor's Version)》等已获商业成功，粉丝力挺“为创作者自由而战”。
The repurchase was facilitated by the private equity firm Shamrock Capital. Taylor emphasized that her "lifelong work" had finally returned to her possession, and she pledged to continue championing female empowerment through her music. She specifically mentioned that this move would inspire a new generation of musicians to fight for copyright ownership, potentially ushering in a "creator-led" transformation within the industry. Analysts point out that this case will prompt the music industry to reevaluate its copyright distribution models and strike a better balance between capital interests and artistic pursuits.
此次回购由私募股权公司Shamrock Capital促成，泰勒强调“一生的心血”终归己有，并承诺将通过音乐持续传递女性力量。她特别提及，此举激励新世代音乐人争取版权所有权，行业或迎“创作者主导”转型。分析指出，这一案例将推动音乐产业重新审视版权分配模式，平衡资本与艺术的博弈。
Currently, Taylor Swift's seventh re-recorded album, Reputation (Taylor's Version), is still in the works, and fans worldwide have initiated a countdown for its pre-order. Industry insiders predict that her subsequent works may place an even greater emphasis on personal storytelling. This copyright battle is also poised to become a landmark event in music history, serving as a cautionary tale for the industry to prioritize the core rights of creators.
目前，泰勒的第七张重录专辑《Reputation (Taylor's Version)》仍在筹备中，全球粉丝已发起预售倒计时。业内预测，其后续作品或将更聚焦个人叙事，而这场版权争夺战也将成为音乐史上的标志性事件，警示行业重视创作者的核心权益。
