Taylor Swift reclaimed her first six albums; 2026 deal reveals who owns her hit songs
HarbourView Equity Partners has acquired the publishing rights to several hit songs, including two by Taylor Swift, from the songwriting collective Wolf Cousins. The deal highlights the distinction between master recording ownership and songwriting/publishing rights in the music industry.
Why it matters
It clarifies the complex landscape of music rights ownership, distinguishing between the artist's master recordings and the underlying publishing/songwriting shares.
Taylor Swift’s 2025 purchase of the master recordings of her first six albums marked a significant moment in her long-running fight for control over her music. However, a separate transaction announced in June 2026 has highlighted another side of the music business, the ownership of songwriting and publishing rights. HarbourView Equity Partners acquired the publisher’s share of selected compositions written by Wolf Cousins, the songwriting collective founded by Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback. The deal included two Swift hits, Style and …Ready for It?. It did not affect Swift’s existing ownership of the recordings or transfer her own songwriting share.
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