After the massive success of Taylor Swift‘s re-recorded albums, major record labels such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group are reportedly changing their recording contracts prohibiting artists from re-recording their material for a minimum of 10 years.
Billboard explains that’s Swift’s re-recorded albums, better known as the Taylor’s Version albums, have spurred on major cultural moments while decreasing the value of the masters she was not allowed to buy back from Scooter Braun. Top music attorneys allege that the new recording contracts forbid artists from re-recording their music until 10, 15 or even 30 years after their departure from the label. This is a major jump and hurdle from the previous standard recording contracts, which normally stated that artists could re-record music after five to seven years from the original release date, or two years after the contract expired.
“The first time I saw it, I tried to get rid of it entirely,” Josh Karp, a veteran attorney who has seen the new restrictions in Universal Music Group’s contracts, said. “I was just like, ‘What is this? This is strange. Why would we agree to further restrictions than we’ve agreed to in the past with the same label?’”
A rep for Universal Music Group declined to respond and said that the label does not comment on legal agreements, but did refer to an article on the Wall Street Journal which reported that the label made the changes before Swift’s Taylor’s Version, in addition to increasing royalties and other alterations in favor of their artists. Warner and Sony’s reps did not respond.
In related news, Kendrick Lamar re-recorded his verse for the remix of Swift’s “Bad Blood (Taylor’s Version).”
