Master recordings by Ray Charles, Elton John, Nirvana, more, secretly lost in fire

If it were my recordings I would have wanted my own masters. Did these artists have such little control over their own music that they weren't allowed to keep their own masters? And if Universal was so damn obsessed with keeping them themselves, why not take better care of them?
 
If it were my recordings I would have wanted my own masters. Did these artists have such little control over their own music that they weren't allowed to keep their own masters? And if Universal was so damn obsessed with keeping them themselves, why not take better care of them?

Nearly all record companies own the master recordings for artists, as they're the ones who financed the recordings in the first place.

Heck, when T-Swift signed her new record deal less than a year ago it was a huge deal that she gained ownership of her masters:
https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/11/19/18102856/taylor-swift-record-deal-republic-records

Prince was also notorious for doing everything he could to have total control of his music, and even the Beatles didn't own their own masters/rights to their music until just recently.

Unfortunately it's not easy as an artist signed to a record label to have full control of your own music. However this is becoming less prevalent with the ease of which to do your own recordings and distribute your music.
 
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