Taylor Swift started re-recording her albums in November 2020 after her feud with Scooter Braun and Big Machine Records. Kelly Clarkson played a major role in Swift’s decision to re-record her albums. When Clarkson learned that Big Machine sold the masters of her first six studio albums to Scooter Braun, she suggested the Elizabeth Taylor singer to re-record her albums.
Clarkson took to X and told Swift that she could put brand new art for all the re-recorded albums and add some incentive for fans to buy this re-recorded version. The Breakaway singer’s idea helped Swift to create Taylor’s Version of her albums, which generated millions in revenue.
@taylorswift13 just a thought, U should go in & re-record all the songs that U don’t own the masters on exactly how U did them but put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I’d buy all of the new versions just to prove a point 💁🏼♀️
Clarkson shared how Swift was thankful to her for the idea. She told E! News, “You know what’s so funny? [Swift] just sent me flowers.” She also added, “She’s so nice, she did. She was like, ‘Every time I release something’—cause she just did 1989. I got that really cute cardigan, too.” Clarkson continued about how Swift was a smart businesswoman:
I love how kind she is, though. She’s a very smart businesswoman. So, she would have thought of that. But it just sucks when you see artists that you admire and you respect really wanting something, and it’s special to them. You know, if they’re going to find a loophole, you find a loophole. And she did it and literally is, like, the best-selling artist I feel like of all-time now.
Swift wrote her own songs, which meant that she owned the musical composition copyright, allowing her to re-record her songs. In April 2021, she came out with Fearless (Taylor’s Version). It was followed by Red (Taylor’s Version) in November 2021, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July 2023, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in October 2023.
How Much Money Did Taylor Swift’s Remastered Albums Make
Taylor Swift’s four Taylor’s Version albums all debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, spending several weeks on the chart. Swift reportedly earned an estimated $8.5 million a month in royalties alone from her three re-recorded albums.
This is according to 2023 data from KingCasinoBonus.uk, which analyzed Spotify data to determine her earnings (via KSBY). At the time, the three re-recorded albums had a combined streaming total of 6 million. She earned $0.008 in royalties per streamed song on Spotify.
According to the study, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) brought in $758,430 in royalties each month. Red (Taylor’s Version) reportedly received an estimated $1,405,618 in royalties each month. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) reportedly raked in $6,393,140 in royalties in a month.
Swift’s eleven music albums combined have earned her approximately $600 million, the biggest chunk of her net worth. With an estimated global sales of 200 million records, Swift ranks among the best-selling artists of all time. Over the course of her decades-long career, she has landed 14 Grammy Awards, and she made history as the only artist to win Album of the Year four times.
Swift entered the elite class of U.S. billionaires at the young age of 33. The Cruel Summer singer was recently placed on Forbes‘ richest celebrities of 2025, with a reported net worth of $1.6 billion.
What Happened to Taylor Swift’s Master Recordings
In November 2020, just when Taylor Swift had started re-recording her music, Scooter Braun sold her music catalog to Shamrock Holdings for over $300 million. Swift shared in a Twitter letter that she had no clue about the sale and added that it was the second time her masters had been sold without her knowledge.
However, she continued her negotiations with Shamrock over the years. She eventually succeeded and announced through her website that she had bought back the masters from Shamrock Capital six years after Big Machine sold them to Scooter Braun.
She now owns all of her music videos, concert films, album art, and photography, as well as all the unreleased songs in her first six albums. She shared in the letter that she had almost given up on the dream when the deal actually happened. She shared in an open letter to her fans (via the Taylor Swift website),
I’ve been bursting into years of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening.
She proudly shared in the letter, “I really get to say these words: All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me.” She further shared, “All I’ve ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to be able to one day purchase my music outright with no strings attached, no partnership, with full autonomy.”
The amount she paid Shamrock to finally regain her ownership is currently unknown. The New York Times reported that a source said the deal was something north of $300 million. Braun reacted to the news, stating to UsWeekly that he was happy for the singer.
Interestingly, when she signed with Republic Records in 2019, she made sure that she owned the masters for her works, including Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department.
What do you think of Kelly Clarkson’s gesture towards Taylor Swift? Let us know in the comments below!
