Topic
24 facts from 6 episodes, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
2009
Swift won best female video for 'You Belong With Me' at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall, an award that was not the night's biggest.
“Taylor wins best female video for You Belong With Me. Which, to be clear, is not the biggest video award of the night.”
2010
Speak Now became the only album in history to place 17 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, four of them in the top 10, according to the host.
“So it becomes the only album in history to have 17 Hot 100 hits, four of which were in the top 10.”
2014
Taylor Swift wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed in 2014 criticizing Spotify and the way the streaming industry paid artists.
“She writes an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal saying that she completely disagreed with Spotify and the music streaming industry”
2014
On November 3, 2014, a week after releasing 1989, Taylor Swift removed her entire catalog from Spotify.
“A week later on November 3rd, after having been out for a week, Taylor pulls her entire catalog off of Spotify”
2014
Daniel Ek says that when Taylor Swift pulled her music in October 2014, Spotify had been in the US for just under three years and radio still dominated.
“Spotify at that time was like shy of three years in the US. Streaming penetration was relatively low. Radio was like the predominant thing.”
2015
After Swift's public letter, Apple reversed its Apple Music policy and agreed to pay artists during the free trial.
“Overnight, they change it and they say, we're going to eat the cost during the three month free trial for customers and pay artists.”
2019
On July 13, 2019, Kelly Clarkson tweeted a suggestion that Taylor Swift re-record the songs whose masters she did not own.
“On July 13th, singer Kelly Clarkson tweets at Taylor, just a thought. You should go in and rerecord all the songs that you don't own the masters on exactly how you did them”
2019
In August 2019 Taylor Swift announced on Good Morning America that she would re-record her old albums.
“A couple of weeks later, in August of 2019, Taylor goes on Good Morning America and announces that she's going to do this.”
2020
In 2020 Ithaca Holdings sold only the masters of Swift's first six albums to private equity firm Shamrock Capital for about $300 million.
“They sell only the Taylor Masters to a private equity firm for about $300 million.”
2021
Fearless (Taylor's Version) was released in April 2021 and debuted at number one, as Folklore and Evermore had before it.
“So April 2021, Fearless, Taylor's version comes out, debuts at number one, as did Folklore, as did Evermore.”
2022
A host recalls that Taylor Swift's tour ticket sale drew demand equal to about 900 stadiums' worth on Ticketmaster.
“I think the announcement was that they had 900 stadiums worth of demand showing up to Ticketmaster.com.”
2023
David says Taylor Swift's Eras Tour grossed about $1.1 billion in calendar year 2023, beating the prior record of roughly a billion dollars.
“the Eras Tour in calendar year 2023 grossed, I think, $1.1 billion.”
2023
The hosts say Taylor Swift's Eras Tour film grossed $267 million at the box office, the highest for a concert film.
“the movie grossed $267 million at the box office. Highest grossing concert film of all time.”
2024
The hosts say the NFL added 4 million female fans in the first year of the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce relationship, 3.4 million of them Chiefs fans.
“in the first year of the relationship, September of 23 to September of 24, the NFL added 4 million female fans.”
Undated
Sony/ATV signed Taylor Swift to a songwriting contract at age 14, making her the youngest songwriter the company had signed.
“Sony ATV, which is one of the big publishing labels, signs her to a songwriting contract as their youngest songwriter ever that they have ever signed.”
Undated
The Swift family invested $120,000 in Big Machine Records for roughly a 3% stake.
“The Swift family invests $120,000 in Big Machine for a 3% stake in the label.”
Undated
Swift's self-titled debut album spent a total of 275 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.
“It ends up in total on the Billboard Top 200. It spends 275 weeks on the charts.”
Undated
Taylor Swift won the Grammy for Album of the Year for Fearless, becoming the youngest artist to win that award.
“She wins the album of the year, the Grammy for album of the year, making her the youngest artist ever to win album of the year.”
Undated
Swift's first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour, grossed over $63 million and drew more than a million fans.
“The tour grosses over $63 million. She plays in front of over a million fans.”
Undated
Swift's 1989 Tour grossed $250 million.
“The 1989 tour grosses $250 million. So that's a quarter billion dollars from the tour.”
Undated
Revenue from Taylor Swift's work is estimated to have been about 80% of Big Machine Records' total revenue.
“It's estimated that revenue from Taylor's work was 80% of big machines total revenue.”
Undated
Under Taylor Swift's deal with Universal Music Group, UMG can license her future masters for up to ten years, after which she regains full control.
“UMG only has the license up to 10 years, at which point she will regain full control.”
Undated
Daniel Ek says Taylor Swift's songwriting circle is two to four people at the top, while some Korean artists involve about 200 writers.
“Just on the songwriting side, it's the difference between if in Taylor Swift's camp, it's like two, three, four, maybe at the top. In some Koreans, it's 200 writers involved.”
Undated
The host recalls, from an Acquired podcast episode, that Taylor Swift personally replied to about 25,000 fan messages on Tumblr early in her career.
“She personally responded to like 25,000 messages from fans on the blogging platform Tumblr that was like popular back in the day when she was just starting out.”
Episodes