If you watched the American Music Awards Sunday night, you’d never know that honoree Taylor Swift remains locked in a contentious battle with her former label, Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group, and its new owner, Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings. Instead, the performance, and her acceptance of several awards—including a special Artist of the Decade award—was merely a brief pause in a very public and acrimonious battle.
For The (Re-)Record: Here’s What You Need To Know About Re-Recording Restrictions
I teach a music business class, so I’m always looking for real-life moments to bring into my lectures and group discussions. There have been several interesting examples so far this year. Most recently, the purchase of Taylor Swift’s previous label, Big Machine Label Group, by artist manager Scooter Braun’s media company, Ithaca Holdings LLC, has given me a chance to talk about a little-known aspect of artist contracts: re-recording restrictions.