News November 15, 2021

Taylor Swift’s record label to set stricter guidelines for re-recordings

Taylor Swift’s re-recording endeavours are having wider repercussions in the music industry, with her record label, Universal Music Group, reportedly tightening restrictions on re-recordings.

As per the Wall Street Journal, UMG has stepped up its efforts to protect its investments in artists during a time when recording and distributing music has become noticeably easier. They have revised some of its contracts to increase the length of time in which an artist is prohibited from rerecording their own work.

The report follows immediately after Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) came out, the second release in her ongoing reissue series. The singer decided to re-record her first six albums due to failing in her attempts to purchase her masters from her former label Big Machine Records.

Music executive Scooter Braun secured the rights to her masters after acquiring Big Machine back in 2019. He ultimately sold them to Shamrock Holdings the following year.

In 2019, after Swift couldn’t agree on terms to regain her masters from Braun and Ithaca Holdings, she announced the re-recording of her first six albums. She asked that fans stream her updated versions instead of the originals.

And according to WSJ, that decision has paid off handsomely – the first two re-recordings, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) – have massively outperformed the original versions in terms of digital streams.

“What Taylor did is a game changer, not just for her fans, but for other artists. She is inspiring artists to re-record their songs and control their music,” Susan Genco, board member of artists’ rights group Music Artists Coalition and co-president of the Azoff Company said. “Taylor is leading by example: Showing fans and artists that it’s possible to take control of their future.”

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