Fresh off the heels of her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, Taylor Swift announced today she has inked an exclusive deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, parting ways with Sony/ATV where she first signed when she was 14. This deal specifically covers Swift’s work as a songwriter. “According to two people briefed on the agreement, Swift’s contract with Universal will cover her new work and, over time, her entire catalog of material, as Sony/ATV’s rights to older songs expire,” the New York Times reported. Terms of the deal were not released.
It’s not terribly surprising, given that UMPG already has a record deal with Swift. (To be clear, that’s two separate deals. One with her as a recording artist and the other as a writer.) She signed with UMPG in 2018 after leaving Big Machine Records, a UMPG imprint where she’d been under contract since 2006.
“I’m proud to extend my partnership with Lucian Grainge and the Universal Music family by signing with UMPG, and for the opportunity to work with Jody Gerson, the first woman to run a major music publishing company,” Taylor Swift said in a statement. “Jody is an advocate for women’s empowerment and one of the most-respected and accomplished industry leaders.” She also shouted out Troy Tomlinson, an industry executive who left Sony/ATV last summer and is now at UMPG. Tomlinson, Swift also said, “has been an amazing part of my team for over half my life and a passionate torchbearer for songwriters. It’s an honor to get to work with such an incredible team, especially when it comes to my favorite thing in the world: songwriting.”