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How Taylor Swift’s Masters Battle Changed the Narrative Around Ownership for Artists
Taylor Swift's masters battle changed the music industry, even if she wasn't first to do it. What's different now?
The pop-punk band put out Songs People Actually Liked — Volume 1, note-for-note copies of early quasi-hits such as “Girl All the Bad Guys Want” and “Punk Rock 101,” and justified it by telling fans they were more mature, better musicians and sought to “add some luster” to the originals. Swift’s strategy — re-recording all six of those albums with most of the original musicians as “Taylor’s Versions,” convincing top radio stations to air them and streaming services to emphasize them in playlists while promoting them on her massive tours — has been influential, directly or indirectly, on other artists. After Wheatus finished re-recording its 1999 alt-rock hit “Teenage Dirtbag” in April 2020, and it went viral on TikTok and Instagram during the pandemic lockdown, the new master generated nearly $25,000 for singer-songwriter Brendan Brown, according to Billboard estimates in 2023.
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