Taylor Swift makes her money in more ways than just music. With her Eras Tour well under way and ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) dropping in July, her net worth is bound to grow.
Celebrity
Forbes updated the “Karma” singer’s net worth, making her one of the richest self-made women.
Taylor Swift is not only one of the wealthiest musicians alive, but the 12-time Grammy winner is also among the richest women in the entire entertainment industry. Since breaking into the music scene in 2006 with her debut single “Tim McGraw,” Swift has capitalized on her ever-growing fame with 10 No. 1 albums, popular merchandise, record-breaking tours, acting gigs, fragrances, and countless brand deals. Throughout her impressive 17-year career, the 33-year-old superstar has never slowed down or faltered when it comes to releasing critically acclaimed albums and fan-favorite songs, and the steady stream of music has earned her an incredible amount of wealth.
In October 2022, Swift released Midnights, her 10th studio album, which she calls a “collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.” Before the close of Oct. 21, Midnights broke Spotify’s record of the most-streamed album in a single day, along with Apple Music declaring it their “biggest pop album of all time.” She also made Billboard Hot 100 chart history that month after Midnights was released when she had 10 songs in the top 10, making her the first artist to do so.
On Feb. 13, 2023, Forbes named Swift the highest-paid female entertainer of 2022, stating that she earned $92 million in just one year. As a result, on June 1, Swift’s net worth increased when she landed on the outlet’s annual list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. Notably, the majority of her recent earnings did not come from the blockbuster success of Midnights or her mammoth Eras Tour, which means her 2023 earnings just might skyrocket.
According to Forbes, an estimated 70% of Swift’s 2022 earnings can be attributed to her back catalog (past music), including albums she owns the masters of, like 2020 surprise albums folklore and evermore, and those she’s slowly reclaiming with rereleases. In 2021, Swift continued re-recording and re-releasing her first six albums in an effort to gain back the rights to her songs after her original recordings/masters were bought to her dismay. That year, she released two re-recorded albums — Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) — with never-heard-before “From The Vault” songs. Swift is guaranteeing she’ll own these recordings with this process, which is a smart career move that has also become lucrative because of high sales, record streams, and profits from associated merch. While she took a break from re-recordings to release Midnights, there’s more to come. Easter eggs in her “Bejeweled” music video point to Speak Now followed by 1989 as her next two re-recorded albums.
Swift is also back in tour mode, as her Eras Tour kicked off on March 17 in Glendale, Ariz. The ticket sales for her first tour in five years caused Ticketmaster to announce they were experiencing “historically unprecedented demand” and would cancel the planned general on-sale. Swift took to Instagram in response to Ticketmaster, writing: “To those who didn’t get tickets, all I can say is that my hope is to provide more opportunities for us to all get together and sing these songs,” she said. She also pointed out that 2.4 million people got tickets for her tour, which is bound to increase her wealth.
Between the success of Midnights, expected new “Taylor’s Version” albums, and the Eras Tour, Swift stands to make a whole lot more money by the end of 2023. Let’s take a look at just how much money Swift has made throughout her lifetime.
Swift stands out as one of the bestselling musicians in history, and the data makes that claim indisputable. The “All Too Well” singer has sold 51 million albums and 137.5 million singles in the United States alone. Globally, Swift’s total sales rise to a whopping 200 million. At 32, with so much career left ahead of her, those numbers will likely increase for decades to come.
In 2019, Swift was named Artist of the Decade at the American Music Awards. That same year, Billboard named her Woman of the Decade. Stats certainly back up those honors. On the Billboard Hot 100, the main singles chart in the U.S., Swift ranks as one of the most prolific and successful acts ever. She claims the most Hot 100 hits of all time among female artists and the fourth-most among all acts (coming in behind only Drake, the cast of Glee, and Lil Wayne). Eight of those songs have reached No. 1. She’s also scored 40 top 10 hits, surpassing Madonna (38) and only behind Drake with 59.
Over on the Billboard 200, which ranks the most-consumed albums in the U.S., Swift’s dominance is perhaps even more impressive. With the immediate success of Red (Taylor’s Version), the powerhouse musician has now reached the summit with 10 albums, which is a milestone very few artists have managed to achieve. Swift is now tied with Kanye West, Drake, Elvis Presley, and Eminem for the fifth-most chart-toppers among all acts. Looking at just females, she’s behind only Barbra Streisand, who has 11 No. 1 albums.
Swift likely earned a nice advance when she first signed with Big Machine Records, but it’s important to remember that when she (and her parents) agreed to work with the label, she was an unknown artist. She signed a recording deal with the company in 2005 when she was 15, and her debut album followed a year later. The fact that Swift is either the sole writer or a co-writer on every track she releases has helped her make millions, as that credit ensures she earns royalties whenever her songs are played on the radio or on streaming platforms.
The sheer amount of music she’s written and released (more than 200 songs) — not to mention she’s landed some of the biggest hits in recent memory — means that, unlike some big artists who rely on songwriters to pen their hits, Swift earns the bulk of her money from her art.
