In a heartfelt episode of the New Heights podcast, Taylor Swift opens up about her emotional journey to reclaim her master recordings, sharing insights and personal anecdotes.
Taylor Swift’s Emotional Journey on Reclaiming Her Masters
During her appearance on The New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, Taylor Swift shared her heartfelt experience of reclaiming her master recordings, a milestone she announced earlier this year.
The Joy of Reclaiming Her Music
Swift first revealed this joyous moment in May on her Instagram. In the podcast segment, starting at around the 11-minute mark, she explained that following the conclusion of her Eras tour, she met with her team to discuss the possibility of approaching Shamrock Capital, the private equity firm that had purchased her masters from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings.
“It was like an intrusive thought that I had every day. I wanted to buy my music outright. I didn’t want a partnership. I wanted to own all of it. I deserve that,” she said. “I decided that, rather than this be like a business conversation, I would lead with my heart.”
Personal Connection to Her Work
“For me, this is not about ownership for financial returns. This is my hand-written diary entries from my whole life,” she added. “These are the songs I wrote about every phase of my life, my artwork, everything I’ve ever done is in this catalog.”
Emotional Meetings and Family Support
Swift got emotional as she recounted the details of the meeting that helped her secure her life’s work. “Rather than send lawyers or management, I sent my mom and my brother to LA. They sat down with Shamrock Capital and shared what this meant for me,” she explained. “My mom called me afterwards, saying they were wonderful and heard us out.”
Understanding Master Recordings
Swift clarified that her publishing was protected, which impacts the use of her “(Taylor’s Version)” songs in films or TV shows. “The master recordings include my vocals, production, mixing, and album artwork,” she said. “I own my publishing, which is why I can decide if my song is used in a film.”
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Gratitude and Reflection
Swift compared her desire to own her work to an intrusive thought before she received the news that the deal had been made. She expressed her gratitude to the artists who helped her with her re-records, reflecting on how the industry initially viewed her efforts as a bad idea.
Special Moments in Her Career
When asked about her favorite album, Swift mentioned Red (Taylor’s Version) as special, particularly because of the fan anticipation for the 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” She shared how she restructured the song to include verses that had been left out of the original release.
Future Projects
Swift has released re-recorded versions of four of her first six albums — Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989 — each featuring additional “From the Vault” songs. She also teased her upcoming twelfth album, The Life of a Showgirl, set to release on October 3, in promotional videos for the podcast.
