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Taylor Swift vs The World | Bad Blood | 2
Business Wars
Episode Insights
See all- Taylor Swift took a definitive stand for artist ownership by leaving Big Machine Label and signing with Universal Music Group, enabling her to own the masters of her future albums.
- The sale of Big Machine Label to Scooter Braun without Swift's consent sparked a highly publicized dispute over the ownership of her early masters, casting a spotlight on industry power dynamics.
- Swift's strategic pivot from country to pop music and her withdrawal from Spotify over streaming payouts are examples of her asserting her artistic and business autonomy.
- The conflict with Scooter Braun over her masters illuminated Swift's determination to control her artistic legacy and maintain agency over her previous works.
- Big Machine Label's retention of rights to Swift's first six albums presented a financial paradox: the label lost their major artist but maintained a valuable asset that attracted buyers like Braun.
- Swift's use of her fanbase as a powerful ally against industry adversaries like Braun and Borchetta demonstrates the significant role that fan support plays in an artist's career and in challenging industry norms.
- The actions taken by Swift in response to the sale of her masters serve as a case study in artist rights and the value of music catalog ownership within the music industry.