Swift leaves longtime label
Deal highlights star’s wish to have greater control over her work Taylor Swift has announced a global deal with Universal.
In recent months, while Taylor Swift was clashing in public with her former record company over control of her early albums, she was quietly plotting a move to consolidate another aspect of her musical empire: her songwriting rights. On Thursday, Swift announced a global deal with the Universal Music Publishing Group to represent her work as a writer, ending a relationship with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the company that had signed her when she was just14. Swift, who is now 30 and sees being a songwriter as a primary part of her artistic identity, writes all her own material, alone or with collaborators.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But according to two people briefed on the agreement, Swift’s contract with Universal will cover her new work and, over time, her entire catalogue of material, as Sony/ ATV’s rights to older songs expire.
Swift’s new deal will bring much of her work as both a songwriter and a recording artist under the same corporate umbrella. Universal Music Publishing is a division of the Universal Music Group, the global behemoth that Swift signed a recording deal with in late 2018, after she left Big Machine, the label where she made her first six albums.
In a statement, Swift highlighted her growing ties with
Universal and nodded to its top executives, including Lucian Grainge, the head of the overall company, and Jody Gerson, the chair and chief executive of the publishing group.
“I’m proud to extend my partnership with Lucian Grainge and the Universal Music family by signing with UMPG, and for the opportunity to work with Jody Gerson, the first woman to run a major music publishing company,” Swift said. “Jody is an advocate for women’s empowerment and one of the most respected and accomplished industry leaders.”
Gerson added: “Using her power and voice to create a better world, Taylor’s honest and brave songwriting continues to be an inspiration to countless fans. We look forward to further amplifying Taylor’s voice and songs across the globe.”
The deal is one of the most notable signings in years in the music publishing business, the side of the industry that handles the copyrights and licensing for songwriting and composition, which are separate from those for recordings. Although less glamorous and visible to the public, the publishing sector has become energized by streaming, leading to highly competitive deals — particularly when it comes to stars like Swift who possess catalogues of long-lasting hits.
The deal also highlights Swift’s often-expressed wish to have greater control over her work. Although she was believed to have a good relationship with Sony/ATV, having all of her current work represented by Universal may give her a new level of command.
When Swift signed her recording contract with Universal two years ago, she insisted on a particular deal point: that she would own the rights to her new work. The importance of that demand became clear last summer, when Big Machine — which still owns the recording rights to Swift’s first six albums — was purchased for more than $300 million (U.S.) by Ithaca Holdings, a company led by Scooter Braun, a manager who has worked with Justin Bieber and Kanye West.
Swift stirred up her fans in protest of that takeover, saying that Braun was preventing her from performing her songs on an awards show and from using them in a Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” that made its premiere late last month. Braun and Scott Borchetta, the founder of Big Machine, denied blocking those projects, but Swift’s complaint went viral. Her mention of the private equity firm that financed Braun’s deal, the Carlyle Group, even brought out supportive tweets from U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.