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A Billionaire’s First Purchase? Her Own Art
Taylor Swift could have spent her fortune on yachts, private islands, or tech start-ups—yet her headline purchase this week was the master recordings to her first six albums, reportedly for $360 million. pagesix.comcosmopolitan.com
That choice sends a louder message than any press release: when everything is within reach, owning your work still tops the list.
Taylor Swift just proved the lengths—even the wealthiest—will go to correct a teenage contract. Most of us will never have $360 million to buy back our past decisions. Make the decision once, make it wisely, and keep the art that defines you.
Three Non-Negotiable Lessons for Every Creator
| What Taylor Just Proved | Why It Matters to You |
| Ownership outranks luxury. A billionaire prioritized buying back songs she already wrote. | Your catalog—song, chapter, or punchline—is the bedrock of your career identity, not a throw-away bargaining chip. |
| Rights carry massive weight—far beyond bragging rights. They cost her $360 M. | If rights are that valuable to buy, imagine the regret of giving them away for a short-term advance or exposure deal. |
| Only one choice is irreversible. Everything else—genre, pricing, artwork—can change tomorrow; signing away rights can lock you out for life. | Most creators won’t have nine-figure leverage later. The cheapest fix is never needing one. |
This Isn’t Just a Music Story—It’s Your Story
- Authors: Traditional publishing contracts often demand lifetime control of ebooks, audiobooks, translations, and derivative works in exchange for an advance that may never “earn out.”
- Comedians: A streamer’s “exclusive worldwide rights in perpetuity” clause means your signature bit might be off-limits for future tours, vinyl specials, or YouTube clips.
No matter the medium, the temptation is identical: fast money or broad exposure today versus lifelong autonomy tomorrow.
The Digital Shift: Why Middlemen Matter Less Than Ever
Record labels and legacy publishers once held keys to scarce shelf space, radio slots, and printing presses. Digital now accounts for 90 %+ of consumption, routing discovery and sales through screens you already own. Global reach is no longer tied to giving away copyright.
A Safer Path Exists
Curios was built precisely so creators can:
- Upload once, distribute everywhere—ebooks, albums, comedy specials, bonus content.
- Keep 100 % of revenue and 100 % of rights.
- Own your audience data (emails, purchase history) instead of losing it to a platform’s black box.
In short: you can enjoy the reach once promised by labels and houses without the permanent price tag of signing your rights away.
Curios isn’t the only option either, there are plenty of ways for you to get your content out there without giving up the rights to it. Only one publishing decision is forever, so make sure you are extremely careful when deciding to sell the rights to your work.
Image credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taylor_Swift_performing_%22Enchanted%22_on_The_Eras_Tour_(Tampa,_FL_-_Raymond_Jaymes_Stadium_-_April_2023).jpg
Jackie Vlogs, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons