Big Machine Label Group

What does Big Machine Label Group own?
Big Machine Label Group operates three record label imprints: Big Machine Records, BMLG Records, and Valory Music Co. The company also operates Big Machine Publishing, a music publishing division. Big Machine owns the master recordings of its current signed artists, including Tim McGraw, Carly Pearce, Midland, Brett Young, and Lady A. The company no longer owns Taylor Swift's first six albums, which were sold to Shamrock Capital in 2020.

Is Big Machine Label Group publicly traded?
No. Big Machine Label Group is a privately held company. Scott Borchetta is the majority owner and CEO. Hybe Corporation holds a minority equity stake acquired through its 2021 acquisition of Ithaca Holdings. Big Machine does not publish financial statements or annual reports.

Who founded Big Machine Label Group?
Big Machine Label Group was founded in September 2005 by Scott Borchetta in Nashville, Tennessee. Borchetta is a music industry veteran who previously worked at MCA Records and DreamWorks Records Nashville in A&R and promotion roles before starting his own independent label.

Where is Big Machine Label Group headquartered?
Big Machine Label Group is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The company operates from Nashville, which is the centre of the country music industry. Big Machine does not maintain offices in other cities.

How many brands does Big Machine Label Group own?
Big Machine operates three record label imprints under the Big Machine corporate name: Big Machine Records, BMLG Records, and Valory Music Co. The company also operates Big Machine Publishing. The company does not own separate consumer-facing brands. Its commercial value is tied to its artist roster and publishing catalog.

Who owns Big Machine Label Group?
Scott Borchetta is the majority owner of Big Machine Label Group. Hybe Corporation holds a minority equity stake acquired through its 2021 acquisition of Ithaca Holdings, which had purchased Big Machine in 2019 for approximately $300 million. The specific ownership percentages have not been publicly disclosed. Borchetta retains operational and creative control.

What happened to Taylor Swift's master recordings?
Taylor Swift's first six albums were originally owned by Big Machine Label Group. In June 2019, Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine, including the Swift masters. Swift objected to the sale and announced she would re-record the albums. In November 2020, the masters were sold to Shamrock Capital for approximately $300 million. Swift has released re-recorded versions of four of the six albums as of 2023.

Has Big Machine Label Group made major acquisitions recently?
Big Machine has grown primarily through signing artists rather than through acquisitions. The company itself was acquired by Ithaca Holdings in 2019 and then became part of Hybe Corporation in 2021. Big Machine has expanded its publishing catalog through writer signings and catalog acquisitions, though specific prices have not been publicly disclosed.

Big Machine Label Group was founded in September 2005 by Scott Borchetta in Nashville, Tennessee. Borchetta, a California-born music industry veteran, had previously worked at MCA Records and DreamWorks Records Nashville in A&R and promotion roles. He left DreamWorks after the label was absorbed into Universal Music Group in 2003 and decided to start his own independent label.

The company launched with a distribution deal through Universal Music Group. Borchetta's first major signing was Taylor Swift, whom he discovered at a Nashville showcase in 2005 when she was 15. Swift's self-titled debut album was released in 2006 and eventually sold over 7 million copies in the United States. The album produced five Billboard Hot Country Songs top 40 singles, including "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Our Song."

Swift's success established Big Machine as a serious competitor in country music. Her second album, "Fearless," released in 2008, won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and sold over 12 million copies globally. Her subsequent albums on Big Machine, "Speak Now" (2010), "Red" (2012), "1989" (2014), and "reputation" (2017), all debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold multiple platinum certifications.

Big Machine expanded its roster throughout the late 2000s and 2010s. The company signed Tim McGraw in 2012 after his long tenure at Curb Records, bringing one of country music's biggest stars to an independent label. Other significant signings included Rascal Flatts (who joined in 2017 after leaving Lyric Street Records), Florida Georgia Line (who achieved massive commercial success with hits including "Cruise" and "Meant to Be"), Thomas Rhett, and Brett Young.

The company launched multiple imprints to manage its growing roster. Big Machine Records served as the flagship label. The Valory Music Co. was launched in 2007 as a subsidiary imprint. BMLG Records was created for mainstream and crossover releases. Big Machine Publishing was established to administer songwriting catalogs.

In June 2019, Big Machine Label Group was acquired by Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings for approximately $300 million. The acquisition included the master recordings of Taylor Swift's first six albums. Swift publicly objected to the sale, stating that she had not been given the opportunity to buy back her masters and that she opposed Braun's involvement due to a history of personal conflict. The dispute became one of the most publicized artist-label conflicts in music industry history.

Swift announced in August 2019 that she would re-record her first six albums to gain ownership of the new master recordings. She released "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" in April 2021 and "Red (Taylor's Version)" in November 2021, both to commercial and critical success. She subsequently released "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" in July 2023 and "1989 (Taylor's Version)" in October 2023. The re-recordings significantly reduced the commercial value of the original Big Machine masters.

In November 2020, Ithaca Holdings sold the Big Machine masters, along with other acquired music assets, to Shamrock Capital, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, for approximately $300 million. Swift's original master recordings are now owned by Shamrock Capital, not Big Machine Label Group.

In 2021, Hybe Corporation acquired Ithaca Holdings in a deal valued at approximately $1 billion. As part of the transaction, Hybe acquired Ithaca's stake in Big Machine Label Group. Borchetta retained his majority ownership stake and continued as CEO. The Hybe investment provided Big Machine with access to Hybe's global fan engagement platform, Weverse, and international distribution capabilities.

By 2026, Big Machine Label Group continued to operate as an independent Nashville-based music company. The company's current roster includes Tim McGraw, Carly Pearce, Midland, Brett Young, Lady A, Brantley Gilbert, and Jennifer Nettles. The company has focused on developing new country artists while maintaining relationships with established acts. Big Machine Publishing continues to administer songwriting catalogs and represents writers across the country music industry.

Big Machine Label Group and its artists have received numerous awards from the Country Music Association (CMA), Academy of Country Music (ACM), Grammy Awards, and Billboard Music Awards.

Taylor Swift won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for "Fearless" in 2010, making her the youngest artist to win the award at that time. Swift won the award again for "1989" in 2016. She also won CMA Entertainer of the Year multiple times during her tenure with Big Machine.

Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum) won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Need You Now" in 2011. The song also won Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Country Song. "Need You Now" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over 6 million copies in the United States.

Carly Pearce won the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year award in 2021 and 2022. She also won the ACM Award for Female Artist of the Year in 2022.

Florida Georgia Line, during their tenure on Big Machine, won multiple CMA and ACM awards for Vocal Duo of the Year. Their single "Cruise" became one of the best-selling digital country singles of all time, with over 7 million copies sold.

Big Machine Label Group was recognised by Billboard as one of the top independent labels in the United States by market share during the 2010s, largely driven by Taylor Swift's commercial success.

Taylor Swift master recordings dispute (2019 to 2023). The most significant controversy in Big Machine's history involves Taylor Swift's master recordings. In June 2019, Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine Label Group for approximately $300 million, including the master recordings of Swift's first six albums. Swift publicly objected to the acquisition, stating that she had not been given the opportunity to purchase her own masters and that she had a history of personal conflict with Braun. Swift accused Borchetta of failing to notify her of the sale in advance and of refusing her offer to buy back her masters. Borchetta disputed Swift's account, stating that she had been offered a deal that included gradual ownership of her masters but had declined.

Swift announced in August 2019 that she would re-record her first six albums to create new master recordings that she would own. She released "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" in April 2021, "Red (Taylor's Version)" in November 2021, "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" in July 2023, and "1989 (Taylor's Version)" in October 2023. The re-recordings achieved significant commercial success and encouraged fans to stream the new versions instead of the original Big Machine recordings, reducing the value of the original masters.

In November 2020, Ithaca Holdings sold the Big Machine masters to Shamrock Capital for approximately $300 million. Swift stated that she had been offered to participate in the Shamrock acquisition but declined after learning that Braun would continue to receive royalties from the sale. The original master recordings are now owned by Shamrock Capital.

The dispute had significant implications for the music industry, sparking broader discussions about artist ownership of master recordings and label contract terms. Swift's re-recording strategy has been cited as a precedent for other artists seeking to regain control of their recorded catalogs.

Scooter Braun and Ithaca Holdings acquisition. The 2019 acquisition of Big Machine by Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings drew criticism from some country music industry observers who questioned whether Braun, a pop and hip-hop manager, understood the country music market. Braun's involvement in the Taylor Swift dispute further damaged his reputation within the Nashville music community. Hybe's 2021 acquisition of Ithaca Holdings effectively removed Braun from direct involvement in Big Machine's operations.

Lady A name change. In 2020, the band Lady Antebellum, signed to Big Machine, changed its name to Lady A after facing criticism that the word "Antebellum" carried associations with the pre-Civil War American South and slavery. The name change led to a legal dispute with a Seattle-based blues singer who had been performing under the name Lady A for decades. The dispute was resolved in 2022 with both parties reaching a confidential settlement.