| Big Machine Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Big Machine Label Group (Hybe Corporation) |
| Founded | September 1, 2005; 20 years ago (2005-09-01) |
| Founder | Scott Borchetta |
| Distributor | Universal Music Group |
| Genre | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Official website | www |
Big Machine Records is an Americanrecord label, distributed byUniversal Music Group. Big Machine is based onMusic Row inNashville,Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005[1] by formerDreamWorks Records executiveScott Borchetta and became a joint venture between Borchetta and country singerToby Keith.[2] The American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift was the first artist signed by the label. The purchase of Big Machine Records byScooter Braun in 2019 resulted in ahighly publicized dispute with Swift regarding the ownership of the masters to the albums.
Big Machine Records was founded byScott Borchetta, a formerpunk rock bass guitar player who had worked in the mailroom of his father Mike's music company and became a promotions staff member in 1991 forUniversal Music Group'sMCA Records. According toBloomberg Businessweek, Borchetta was an "involved manager" at MCA, "choosing singles and dispensing advice." After he was fired from MCA in 1997, Borchetta accepted a role at the Nashville division ofDreamWorks Records, but later decided to start his own label after Universal acquired the division.[3] Before he left DreamWorks, Borchetta approachedTaylor Swift and her family after the musician performed at theBluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee, after first meeting her in 2004. At the time, Borchetta had no infrastructure or financing. He made an offer to Swift and her parents, whereby he would recruit her to the new label's roster after it was established. Swift eventually recontacted Borchetta around two weeks later, telling him: "I'm looking for you."[3]
He formed the label in 2005, naming it "Big Machine" after a 2004 song by the bandVelvet Revolver.[4] The first signees to Big Machine wereJack Ingram andDanielle Peck. Big Machine's first album release was Ingram'sLive: Wherever You Are, a re-release of a live album he had previously issued independently in 2004. The album features two new studio tracks, "Wherever You Are" and "Love You", both of which were released as singles.[5] In mid-2006, "Wherever You Are" off this album reached number one onBillboardHot Country Songs, thus becoming the label's first single to top that chart.[6]
Soon after, Big Machine released Swift's first ever recording, the single "Tim McGraw" and her debut albumTaylor Swift. Keith dropped his affiliation with the label in 2006, but he was reported as an equity holder in November 2014, alongside the Swift family and Borchetta (the latter reportedly owning 60 percent of the company at the time). In October 2012, Borchetta toldRolling Stone magazine: "[Taylor Swift's father] Scott Swift owns three percent of Big Machine."[2][3][7]
By March 2009, Big Machine artistDanielle Peck had left the label. The departure occurred during a downturn period for the overall U.S. music industry.[8]
In February2010, Swift won fourGrammys—includingAlbum of the Year (Fearless),Best Country Album (Fearless),Best Country Song ("White Horse"), andBest Female Country Vocal Performance ("White Horse")—becoming the first Big Machine artist to win a Grammy Award.[9]
Borchetta signed a deal with Clear Channel—which later changed its name to iHeartMedia—in 2012 that ensures payment for Big Machine artists from terrestrial and digital radio airplay. Three years after the deal was signed, Borchetta said that the revenue streams were "very meaningful."[10]
In November 2014, Borchetta denied a claim that he was looking to sell Big Machine for $200 million following the release of Swift's then-upcoming fifth studio album1989: "Every time we have a Taylor [Swift] record, they're like, 'Oh, he's selling the company.'" Borchetta did not, however, rule out a future change of ownership, stating that "the business is changing so quickly, and if I see a strategic opportunity that's going to be better for our artists and executives, it's going to be a serious conversation."[3] Following the release of1989, Swift's contract with Big Machine obliged her to produce one more full-length album for the label.[3]
TheZac Brown Band announced on January 12, 2015, that it had finalized a four-way strategic partnership involving the Southern Ground Artists record label, Big Machine Label Group,Republic Records and John Varvatos Records for the release of its fourth studio album. The terms of the deal stated that Zac Brown Band would work with Big Machine Label Group for marketing and distribution, while Southern Ground Artists would work on radio promotion, Republic provided support in the area of non-country radio formats and international promotion, and Varvatos oversaw branding and styling.[11]
In a February 2015 interview, Borchetta refused to comment on the status of the label's distribution deal withUniversal Music Group (UMG), which was up for renegotiation at the time. He confirmed that the label would release the nextAmerican Idol album, in partnership with 19 Entertainment and UMG—Borchetta would be one of the mentors on the reality program's next series. Borchetta also disclosed that Swift agreed to the withdrawal of her catalog from Spotify after he first suggested the idea to her, and that he would remove the music of all Big Machine artists if it was within his power.[10]
In May 2017, the label branched out into thealcoholic beverage industry by launching Big Machine Vodka, a premium brand distilled inLynnville, Tennessee. Borchetta described the new venture as "perfectly [complementing] the music we take such great pride in".[12]
In November 2017, Swift released her sixth studio albumReputation, her last album released under Big Machine before her contract with the label expired in November 2018. Swift later signed withRepublic Records, under a deal in which she would maintain ownership of her master recordings going forward.[13][14][15]
On November 3, 2014, Swift removed all but one of her songs from Spotify after indications of her disapproval of the streaming service emerged in July of the same year. Swift, one of the world's most popular musicians at the time, had previously delayed the streaming of her 2012 album,Red.[16]
Big Machine country music artists Justin Moore and Brantley Gilbert removed their music from Spotify on November 12, 2014. Like Swift, both artists allowed a single song to remain on the streaming platform.[17]
After Swift and Big Machine withdrew her catalog from Spotify in November 2014, the streaming service launched a social media campaign to persuade Swift to return and, in a statement on its website, claimed that 16 million of over 40 million users had played her music in the preceding 30-day period.[18]
In mid-November, Borchetta disputed figures released by Spotify that claimed that Swift would receive US$6 million annually from the streaming site—Borchetta said in aTime magazine interview that Swift was paid a total of US$500,000 over the previous 12 months. Spotify responded to Borchetta, by clarifying that Swift had been paid US$2 million for global streaming over the year-long time frame. Spotify further explained: "We [Spotify] paid Taylor [Swift]'s label and publisher roughly half a million dollars in the month before she took her catalog down".[18][19] According to Borchetta, the amount Swift earned from streaming her music videos on theVevo site was greater than the payout she received from Spotify.
Borchetta then clarified in a February 2015 interview that Swift's catalog would be permitted on a streaming service "that understands the different needs that we [Swift and Big Machine] have," whereby "the choice to be [on the free, ad-supported tier] or not" is provided. Borchetta argued that Swift's musical oeuvre is "arguably the most important current catalog there is" and stated that the streaming issue is "about each individual artist, and the real mission here is to bring ... attention to it."[10]
Taylor Swift's catalog returned to Spotify in June 2017.[20]
In October 2018, Big Machine was placed for sale, with bids fromMacquarie Group,Evan Spiegel andUniversal Music Group. Big Machine was valued at $300 million.[21] On June 30, 2019,Billboard reported thatScooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings had purchased Big Machine Records for $300 million, with funding fromCarlyle Group.[22] A few hours after the announcement of the purchase, Taylor Swift wrote onTumblr that she was unaware of the buyer of the masters of her first six albums.[23] Later that night, Scott Borchetta revealed through the Big Machine Label Group website his and Swift's conversation regarding the purchase.[24]
A copyright issue arose later in the year just ahead of Swift'sAmerican Music Awards' Artist of the Decade performance when Swifttweeted regarding Big Machine's prohibition on the use of her old music.[25][26] On August 22, 2019, Swift announced onGood Morning America that she would rerecord her first six albums in November 2020 and release them throughRepublic Records.[27] On November 16, 2020,Variety reported that Big Machine had sold the rights to Taylor Swift's first six albums toShamrock Holdings.[28] Swift stated that she had not been contacted about the sale.[29] On February 11, 2021, Swift announced that the first rerecorded song, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)", would be released the following day at midnight, which was then followed by the albumFearless (Taylor's Version) on April 9. Swift announced the next re-recorded album to be released, originally slated for a November 19 release then changed to a November 12 release date, would beRed (Taylor's Version), on June 18. Following the release of her tenth studio album,Midnights, Swift announced her third rerecorded album,Speak Now (Taylor's Version) at her Nashville show of herEras Tour, and released it on July 7, 2023, underRepublic Records. She announced her fourth re-recorded album,1989 (Taylor's Version) at the final US show of the Eras Tour, and released it on October 27, 2023.
On April 2, 2021, it was announced that Ithaca Holdings, including Big Machine, would be sold to the South Korean music and entertainment firmHybe Corporation (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), with Borchetta to remain CEO of Big Machine.[30][31]
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music & entertainment |
| Founded | September 1, 2005; 20 years ago (2005-09-01) |
| Founder | Scott Borchetta |
| Headquarters | Music Row,, United States |
Key people | Scott Borchetta (CEO) Sandi Spika Borchetta (VP Creative Services) Andrew Kautz,General Manager Taylor Swift, the first signed artist |
| Parent | Ithaca Holdings |
| Divisions | Big Machine Records Valory Music Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment |
| Website | bigmachinelabelgroup.com |
In November 2007, Big Machine Records founded a subsidiary imprint called Valory Music Co. Acts signed to this roster includeJimmy Wayne (who was formerly signed to Big Machine),Jewel,the Mavericks,Thomas Rhett, andJustin Moore.[32]
By the end of November 2008, the Valory imprint entered into a partnership withMidas Records—promotion, sales, marketing, production, publicity and distribution—for Canadian actsAdam Gregory andEmerson Drive.[33] The announcement thatReba McEntire would join Valory was also publicized in November 2008. McEntire's debut single on Valory was scheduled for 2009, with her new studio album scheduled for mid-2009.[34]
Big Machine joined withUniversal Republic Records in June 2009 to found a new label, Republic Nashville.[35] In August 2016, Republic Nashville was rebranded asBMLG Records after Big Machine took back full ownership of the label. BMLG Records rebranded asNashville Harbor Records & Entertainment in 2024.
In March 2014, Big Machine announced the revival ofDot Records and, as of February 2015, the imprint was run in partnership with Republic Records.[36] Dot was shuttered in March 2017 and a number of its artists moved to other Big Machine imprints.
In 2014, Big Machine announced a partnership withCumulus Media to create Nash Icon Music, a Big Machine imprint serving as an offshoot of Cumulus'sNash FM brand, focusing on active country acts who achieved mainstream fame in the 1990s and early 2000s. Cumulus also operates Nash Icon-branded radio stations with a similar focus.[37][38]
On October 21, 2014, it was announced that McEntire would be the first artist signed to Nash Icon Music.[39] Nash Icon Records folded into Big Machine Records in 2018.
Founded in 2014 originally as a joint venture betweenJohn Varvatos andUniversal Music Group'sRepublic Records label, it became a division of the Big Machine Label Group under its current name in 2018.[80]
