Taylor Swift signed to Big Machine Records in 2006, which has released all but one of her albums.
In 2018, Swift signed with Universal Music Group, but Big Machine Records still retains the exclusive rights to her entire back catalogue of master recordings.
Timeline of a feud: Taylor Swift, seen here this summer, is in dispute with Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta over her back catalogue
Here’s how the public feud began:
June 30, 2019: Braun’s $300million deal is announced
The Wall Street Journal reported that Scooter Braun reached a deal of more than $300million to purchase Big Machine Records and with it, all of Swift’s old music.
On the same day, Swift shared a blog post saying that for years she pleaded for a chance to own her work but was only given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, ‘one for every new one I turned in’.
She claimed in the post that she ‘walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future’.
Long working relationship: Taylor Swift signed to Big Machine Records in 2006, which has released all but one of her albums; she is seen with Scott Borchetta in 2013
July 1, 2019: Scott Borchetta releases statement on the sale
Borchetta, the man who sold Swift’s catalog to Braun, says the singer has been misleading about the situation, claiming she had the chance to purchase her work and knew well ahead of time of the deal.
In an open letter on the label’s website, Borchetta, 56, who founded Big Machine Label Group, claimed the songstress had a shot earlier at buying the work, which fell through when she inked a pact with Universal Music Group.
On the same day, celebrities voiced their views. Halsey and Cara Delevingne rushed to support Swift as Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato and Braun’s wife, Yael Cohen, voiced their support for him.
July 2, 2019: Braun faces backlash for bragging about purchase
Braun faced furious backlash over his now-deleted Instagram post that bragged about him ‘buying Taylor Swift’ as he claimed he tried to have a mature conversation with her about the purchase of her catalog of past albums.
When the news first broke – and before Swift responded angrily – Braun was re-posting messages of congratulations from friends and colleagues on his Instagram story.
One of the messages that Braun re-posted and later deleted from his Instagram story congratulated him on ‘buying’ the 29-year singer.
Controversial sale: Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun in June 2019
July 3, 2019: Swift’s lawyers deny she knew about $300m sale
Her lawyer denied claims that Swift had an opportunity to buy her masters before it was eventually sold to Braun.
Borchetta had previously claimed that Swift knew about the sale.
The lawyer refuted claims that the Shake It Off singer was informed months in advance that Big Machine was up for sale.
August 21, 2019: Swift confirms she’s re-recording songbook
The singer announced her plans to re-record her songbook to regain control of her master recordings.
August 23, 2019: Swift celebrates release of first album not owned by Braun
Swift told Good Morning American that her Lover album is so special because ‘it’s the first one that I will own’.
On the same day, Swift slammed Braun in a separate interview, saying: ‘And the person who bought my art, he’s never made any art in his life, so he doesn’t know what it’s like.
‘He could never understand that personal connection. When you make something and then someone buys it out from under you…’ she said, referring to Braun.
August 25, 2019: Swift blasts Borchetta for selling her music
Swift told CBS Sunday that she only found out about the secret $300million deal when it was news online.
‘I found out when it was online, like, when it hit the news,’ she said.
‘I knew he [Scott Borchetta] would sell my music, I knew he would do that,’ she began.
‘I couldn’t believe who he sold it to, because, we’ve had endless conversations about Scooter Braun and he has 300 million reasons to conveniently forget those conversations.’
September 16, 2019: Braun insists he had no ‘malicious intent’ when buying Taylor Swift’s back catalogue masters
Braun insisted he had no ‘malicious intent’ when he bought Big Machine Records.
‘I don’t do anything with malicious intent,’ the 38-year-old power broker told Tony Gonzalez’s Wide Open podcast.
‘I try to do things above board. I try to do the right thing. Not everyone’s gonna be happy with everything that you do, and I think in the long-term, I’ve learned this over time, the truth always comes out, and I’m confident in that.’
November 14, 2019: Swift says she’s banned from singing on TV
Swift claimed that Big Machine Records founder, Borchetta, and music executive Braun have effectively told her ‘shut up or you’ll be punished’.
She claimed they told her that she wouldn’t be able to perform a planned medley of her greatest hits at the American Music Awards next Sunday where she is due to receive Artist of the Decade.
They have also allegedly denied permission to use her old songs on a Netflix documentary that has been two years in the making.
November 15, 2019: Big Machine Records releases statement denying her claims
Swift’s former record company hit back at the singer for making ‘false’ claims that the label banned her from singing her own songs on television.
In a statement, Big Machine Label Group alleged that Swift owes ‘millions of dollars’ to their label and that her social media posts are threatening the safety of their employees.
November 22, 2019: Scooter Braun makes public appeal to end feud after his family received death threats
Braun shared a public letter on Instagram which read in part: ‘Since your public statement last week there have been numerous death threats directed at my family.’
He also said: ‘I assume this was not your intention but it is important that you understand that your words carry a tremendous amount of weight and that your message can be interpreted by some in different ways.’
He made it clear he wants to ‘rectify the situation’ and is ‘open to ALL possibilities.’
Scooter ended his letter with another plea for a resolution – but admitted ‘many’ had told him it was unlikely he and Taylor would meet face-to-face as she’s more interested in creating her own ‘narrative’.
Scooter ended the post with a screenshot of a threatening message he’d received towards his himself, his wife Yael Cohen and their three young children.