Taylor Swift’s Original Albums Surge on Spotify After She Reclaims Her Masters

The “Taylor’s Version” Era is OVER. Taylor Swift has officially reclaimed ownership of her entire music catalog—and the response from fans may surprise you.

Following the announcement that she now owns the master recordings for her first six albums, streams of the original versions—not the “Taylor’s Version” re-recordings—spiked dramatically on Spotify. According to The Hollywood Reporter, there was a 40% increase in overall streams, and in some cases, the numbers skyrocketed far higher.

Here’s a breakdown of the surge in original album streams:

• “Speak Now”: ↑ 430%
• “Taylor Swift” (debut): ↑ 220%
• “Reputation”: ↑ 175%
• “Fearless”: ↑ 160%
• “Red”: ↑ 150%
• “1989”: ↑ 110%

For context, “Reputation” and her self-titled debut are the only two albums that haven’t been re-recorded, which likely contributed to their sharp gains. But the jump across the board raises an interesting question:

Now that Swift owns the originals, is there still a reason to listen to the “Taylor’s Version” albums?

The re-recordings were originally released as a way for Swift to regain control of her music after a dispute with her former label, Big Machine Records, and its new owner Scooter Braun. Swift’s fans embraced the project not only out of loyalty but also as a way to direct royalties back to her rather than the previous rights holders.

With Swift now holding the masters to both versions, that original incentive is gone. And the streaming data suggests a shift—fans may now be returning to the nostalgic versions they grew up with, the ones that originally soundtracked their breakups, car rides, and late-night dance parties.

Still, “Taylor’s Version” releases aren’t just copies. They have re-recorded vocals, subtle production tweaks, and “From the Vault” tracks that offer new material. But now that Swift has nullified the ethical dilemma by owning it all, listeners are increasingly free to choose based on sound and sentiment rather than principle.