logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
36m 20s

Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | On the ...

Wondery
About this episode
When Taylor Swift signed to an upstart country label as a teen, she probably didn't realize that she was signing away the rights to something she would spend decades getting back -- her masters. Swift’s fight for her $300 million master recordings is a scrimmage that could reshuffle the entire business model of the music industry. But first, Swift has to mak ... Show More
Up next
Sep 2022
Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Bad Blood | 2
By 2014, Taylor Swift has spread her wings into pop. But as her self-confidence grows, so does her discontent with her label. So she makes a bold move. Meanwhile, mega-manager Scooter Braun sees a business opportunity in Swift's early masters. The problem is, Swift has serious be ... Show More
31m 50s
Sep 2022
Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Revenge of the Swifties | 3
By 2019, Taylor Swift's battle to get her masters back from Scooter Braun has gone public. She decides to fight by deploying her own, very dangerous weapon -- the Swifties. And Braun pulls out all the stops to protect his $300 million asset.Binge all episodes early and ad-free wi ... Show More
33m 25s
Sep 2022
Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Breaking Down the Big Machine | 4
It’s safe to say that Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun are…never, ever, getting back together. Taking us inside their battle is Chris Willman, senior music writer at Variety, who’s covered Taylor since her early days as an up-and-coming young artist on the country music scene.Later ... Show More
36m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2022
Taylor Swift (Acquired’s Version)
Not only is Taylor Swift the biggest music artist of our generation by nearly every metric (it’s not even close!), with the re-recording of her original albums she’s in the process of reshaping the entire music industry in a way no band or artist ever has before. And oh yeah — sh ... Show More
2h 30m
Feb 2024
The Marketing of Taylor Swift: (Taylor's Version)
This week, we analyze the remarkable marketing skills of one of the top music artists in the world – Taylor Swift.She has challenged the status quo at every turn – she regained ownership of her master recordings. She convinced Apple and Spotify to pay artists in a more equitable ... Show More
27m 19s
Feb 2024
Taylor Swift: Fearless | The Lucky One | 209
After trampling onto the music scene with her massive debut album, an unplanned interruption shakes Taylor’s confidence. But as she strives to show she’s not a one-hit wonder, a complicated relationship will send her spinning off course. Binge the full season early and ad free wi ... Show More
41m 49s
Jul 2019
What the Taylor Swift controversy tells us about who really profits from recording artists' work
This weekend, pop superstar Taylor Swift penned a distraught Tumblr post in which she took the news of a business deal very, very personally. Her former record label, Big Machine, was sold to music mogul Scooter Braun's company for a reported $300 million U.S. The acquisition ess ... Show More
21m 51s
Nov 2023
Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun: Part 1 | 24
<p>In 2019, the pop music landscape was rocked when Taylor Swift took to Tumblr to expose that her arch-nemesis in the industry, Scooter Braun, had gained control over her life's work by owning the masters to her first six albums. She detailed how Braun—a manager, music business ... Show More
44 m
Oct 2024
7 Financial Power Moves from Taylor Swift’s Playbook
You don’t have to be a Swiftie to learn from Taylor Swift’s epic financial moves! In this episode, we break down the strategies that helped Taylor become a Forbes billionaire and how you can apply them to your own money game—whether you’re negotiating a raise, diversifying income ... Show More
16m 51s
Dec 2023
Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun: Part 2 | 25
<p>The Taylor Swift -Scooter Braun epic music industry feud continues.&nbsp;We have an iconic power struggle at the AMAs, we delve into the question of when Taylor really knew about the sale of her masters, and finally hear Scooter speak publicly about all the drama. In Part 2 of ... Show More
42m 41s
May 2025
Taylor Swift Now Owns Her Masters
Nora and Nathan talk about the news that Taylor Swift now owns the masters of her first six albums, from her debut to ‘Reputation.’ They talk about the long road that led up to this deal, including the recordings of the ‘Taylor’s Version’ albums (1:00); what this now means for th ... Show More
56m 19s
Jan 2024
Taylor Swift: Fearless | A Place In This World | 208
At 34, Taylor Swift is already a music legend. So how on earth did she get here so fast? Some people think it’s her incredible songwriting and earnest charisma. Others thing she’s a people pleaser with a tightly crafted public person. But… it turns out, the truth is somewhere in ... Show More
48m 37s