Taylor Swift could lose control of some of her biggest hits after producers Max Martin and Shellback sold their catalog to an investment firm.
Entertainment attorney Bradfield Biggers exclusively spoke with Page Six after Martin — who has worked with Swift on a number of her songs — and Shellback’s songwriting collective Wolf Cousins announced a strategic partnership with HarbourView Equity Partners.
“HarbourView would not control Swift’s masters generally, but for particular songs in the catalog, it could have approval rights or meaningful leverage that affect how Swift can use those recordings in certain contexts,” Biggers said.
The leader of Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP’s Entertainment, Media & Music Practice noted that the deal does not appear to affect Swift’s ownership or control of her sound recordings.
“But depending on exactly what HarbourView acquired and how the relevant publishing and administration agreements are structured, it could give HarbourView a say in certain uses of songs written with Max Martin, Shellback, or other Wolf Cousins writers,” Biggers said.
“That matters when a particular use requires clearance of both the master recording and the underlying composition, such as a film or TV placement, an ad campaign, certain social-media uses, or other synchronization opportunities,” Biggers added.
Swift’s songs reportedly included in Wolf Cousins’ deal with HarbourView include her 2014 song “Style” from the “1989” album, and 2017’s “…Ready for It?” from her “Reputation” album. The acquisition does not, however, involve every Swift track associated with Wolf Cousins.
“I would not call HarbourView a partner of the Swift camp,” Biggers explained. “But by acquiring interests in songs that are closely tied to Swift’s catalog and cultural legacy, HarbourView is now economically connected to an important part of her ecosystem.”
Therefore, the value of the Swift songs in HarbourView’s portfolio could rise as the pop star’s cultural influence and legacy continue to expand.
“As Swift continues to grow her brand and reinforce her place as a legendary pop artist, HarbourView stands to benefit from the enduring value of those songs and Swift’s evolution from a generational star into a lasting figure in the pop-music canon,” Biggers said.
Sources told Variety on Wednesday that the acquisition price was in the low nine figures — though HarbourView did not confirm and would not disclose the terms of the deal.
“At HarbourView, we invest in culturally relevant intellectual property and the visionary creators behind it,” HarbourView’s CEO Sherrese Clarke told the outlet in a statement.
“Max Martin and Shellback continue to hold their place as hitmakers in contemporary music, and through Wolf Cousins they have built an extraordinary creative ecosystem spanning generations and genres. We are proud to partner with them and help steward the legacy of this remarkable catalog.”
Martin, born Karl Martin Sandberg, and Shellback, born Karl Johan Schuster, founded the Wolf Cousins collective in the 2010s, and features popular songwriters like Ilya Salmanzadeh, Oscar Holter, Tove Lo, Ludvig Söderberg and more.
Their new partnership with the private firm reportedly includes Grande’s tracks “Problem,” “Into You,” and “No Tears Left To Cry,” The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face,” Imagine Dragons’ “Believer,” Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do,” Tove Lo’s “Habits (Stay High)” and DNCE’s “Cake By The Ocean,” among other songs.
Swift’s first six albums were originally owned by her former record label, Big Machine Records, which was acquired by Scooter Braun in 2019.
The “Shake It Off” artist, 36, publicly objected to the sale, claiming that she was not given a fair opportunity to buy her masters.
In 2020, Braun sold the masters to Shamrock Capital, and Swift savagely responded by re-recording several of her old albums as “Taylor’s Version” releases to reclaim control over her music.
In May 2025, Swift announced that she had finally bought back her entire masters.
“I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found that this is really happening. I really get to say those words. All of the music I’ve ever made … now belongs… to me,” she announced at the time.
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