Taylor Swift can perform her old hits at AMAs, label says

The singer has been at odds with her old record label over her song rights.

November 18, 2019, 5:13 PM

Taylor Swift will now be permitted to perform any song she wants at the American Music Awards next weekend.

Big Machine Label Group, which owns the rights to much of Swift's music catalog, and Dick Clark Productions, the production company behind the AMAs, released a joint statement Monday laying out the terms of a licensing agreement they'd made recently.

Swift, who is being honored with the Artist of the Decade award at Sunday's ceremony, previously said that she'd been barred by Big Machine from performing any songs from her 2006 debut album through 2017's "Reputation."

"The Big Machine Label Group and Dick Clark Productions announce that they have come to terms on a licensing agreement that approves their artists’ performances to stream post show and for re-broadcast on mutually approved platforms. This includes the upcoming American Music Awards performances," according to the joint statement. "It should be noted that recording artists do not need label approval for live performances on television or any other live media. Record label approval is only needed for contracted artists' audio and visual recordings and in determining how those works are distributed."

However, several hours later, Dick Clark Productions issued a statement that seemed to negate the earlier statement.

"At no time did dick clark productions agree to, create, authorize or distribute a statement in partnership with Big Machine Label Group regarding Taylor Swift’s performance at the 2019 American Music Awards," it read. "Any final agreement on this matter needs to be made directly with Taylor Swift’s management team. We have no further comment."

PHOTO:Taylor Swift arrives for the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Aug. 26, 2019.
Taylor Swift arrives for the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Aug. 26, 2019.
Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

Swift, 29, released a statement last Thursday in which she said that Scooter Braun, whose company acquired Scott Borchetta's Big Machine last summer, and with it, the rights to Swift's music, refused to allow her to perform her songs at the AMAs. She also claimed that Braun and Borchetta, the founder of Big Machine, were barring Netflix from letting her use her music or footage of past performances in a documentary they're making about her.

"I feel very strongly that sharing what is happening to me could change the awareness level for other artists and potentially help them avoid a similar fate," she wrote. "The message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you’ll be punished.'"

In response, Big Machine released a statement Friday denying her claims. The company also said that it had been in touch with Swift's team, and until she released her statement, had been "optimistic" that a solution could be reached.

"As Taylor Swift’s partner for over a decade, we were shocked to see her tumblr statements yesterday based on false information," Big Machine said. "At no point did we say Taylor could not perform on the AMAs or block her Netflix special. In fact, we do not have the right to keep her from performing live anywhere. Since Taylor’s decision to leave Big Machine last fall, we have continued to honor all of her requests to license her catalog to third parties as she promotes her current record in which we do not financially participate."

Swift, who has a long history with Braun, is currently signed to Universal Music Group.

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