Today, let’s talk about one of the most overlooked assets in the music industry: Owning Your Masters, especially your Publishing Rights.
💡 Why Is Publishing So Important?
Because Publishing is the hidden gold mine of the music business.
While most artists are busy chasing streams, views, and performance gigs, the real, long-term wealth in music lies in publishing.
Your publishing earns you money every time:
- 🎧 Your song plays on the radio
- 🎬 It’s synced in a movie, game, or commercial
- 🎤 Another artist covers it
- 💼 It’s licensed for commercial use
Publishing earns without performance — and it can earn forever.
It’s passive income. It’s legacy income.
💰 Let’s Talk About Taylor Swift
Ever wonder why Taylor Swift is the richest musician in the world—from music alone?
Strip away the fashion deals, business ventures, and endorsements from moguls like Jay-Z, Rihanna, or Kanye West, and none match Taylor’s level of music-generated wealth.
Why?
Because she owned her music — and that changed everything.
The Backstory:
In 2019, Taylor’s former label, Big Machine Records, sold the master recordings of her first six albums to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings — without offering her a fair chance to buy them back.
Instead of fighting a losing battle, Taylor made a power move:
She re-recorded those albums and released them as “Taylor’s Version.”
Her fans backed her.
The re-recorded versions outperformed the originals on Spotify, Apple Music, and even Billboard.
Now, 100% of the revenue from the new versions goes straight to her — not the old label, not Scooter Braun.
🔓 Why She Could Do That — No Permission Needed
Here’s the gem most artists miss:
Taylor didn’t need her old label’s approval to re-record those songs.
Why?
Because she owned the publishing rights — the lyrics and melodies.
Re-recording isn’t sampling. It’s a brand new performance of a composition she already owned.
She co-wrote nearly all of it, so she had full control.
✅ No lawsuits
✅ No drama
✅ Just smart strategy and ownership
🎤 Take Notes. Build Legacy. Own Your Rights.
Music is more than a career — it’s a business.
And publishing is the business side too many artists ignore.
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#OwnYourMasters #MusicBusiness #PublishingRights #TaylorSwift #ArtistEmpowerment #EpicStuart
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