Get the latest gossip

Taylor-made deals: how artists are following Swift’s rights example

The singer’s public fight over ownership of her work has lit the way for a new generation of musicians – especially young women – demanding more control over their output

This claim about ownership skips over the complexities of contract law – Sawayama presumably having signed over the rights to her recordings in exchange for the label’s financial investment – but emotionally it plays to a fanbase who increasingly see “the industry” as the inherent enemy of art and creative autonomy. There have been plenty of indies that have been mired in various controversies with regard to ownership, exploitation and digital royalties.” He does not name it, but the recent legal battle between Domino Records and Four Tet – in which Kieran Hebden settled a dispute over historic royalty rates with the label – is one such example. Not every new act finds themselves in the kind of bidding war that gives them a lot of leverage in negotiations, but their secret weapon could lie in taking advantage of the partial literacy that today’s young pop fans have developed about industry issues, allowing them to better their positions by naming and shaming what they perceive as egregious moves made by music companies.

Get the Android app