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Big Machine Record Label, 2019. Image courtesy of MHCF.
Stop 16 of 25
Big Machine Records
This building may seem unassuming and even lacks a sign, but its significance can not be understated. It was 2005 when Scott Brochette discovered a 14-year-old who would become one of the most successful musicians and singers of all time. Her name was Taylor Swift. He saw something in her that other labels had not, took a chance, and signed her as Big Machine Record’s first solo artist. He produced Swift’s first official single a year later, a song called “Tim McGraw,” which reached the top ten on the Billboard Country Chart. In 2009, at the age of eighteen, Swift was named American Music Award’s Artist of the Year. Big Machine has also worked with Rascal Flats, Reba McEntire, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, and many others.
Based in Nashville, Big Machine Records is also an innovator in the music business. They have pursued performance royalty fights for their artists through what is called terrestrial radio. This sounds strange, but terrestrial radio represents any radio signal that is broadcast or received on land as opposed to satellite. They also have several subsidiaries including Valory Music Co., John Varvatos Records, and a digital radio station.
Stacked with a full deck of talent, Big Machine’s artists have won numerous awards including GRAMMY, CMA, AMA, Teen Choice, MTV, Billboard, and People’s Choice. While with Big Machine, Taylor Swift alone won over 400 awards, including five Grammys. In November 2018, after her sixth album, reputation, Taylor Swift left Big Machine Records and signed with Universal Music Group. As part of the deal, Universal granted Swift full ownership of all future master recordings.
Continue walking north on Sixteenth Avenue South. House of David studios is just ahead on the left. The address is 1205 16th Ave South.
Tour Stops
Owen Bradley Park, Musica Statue, Buddy Killen Circle
1 Music Square East at Division Street
ASCAP and Sony Music
2 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203
Tree Publishing, Former Fire Hall No. 7
16 Music Square West, Nashville, TN
RCA Studio B
1611 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203
Carnival Music and Mural
24 Music Square West, Number 2, Nashville TN
RCA Studio A
30 Music Square West, Number 100, Nashville, TN 37203
Word Entertainment
25 Music Square West, Nashville, TN
Starstruck Studios
40 Music Square West, Nashville TN
iHeartMedia
55 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203
Quadrafonic or Quad Studios, Round Hill Music
1802 Grand Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212
Scarritt Bennett Center
1027 Eighteenth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
Ocean Way Nashville Studios
1200 Seventeenth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
Little Sisters of the Poor, now Vanderbilt University
1400 Eighteenth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203
Allentown Studios, formerly Jack’s Tracks
1308 Sixteenth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
PLA Media
1303 Sixteenth Avenue South A, Nashville, TN 37212
Big Machine Records
1219 Sixteenth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
House of David
1205 Sixteenth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
Landmark Community Bank, formerly CBS Songs and Sony Music
1013 Sixteenth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
Belmont Church
68 Music Square East, Nashville, TN 37203
Curb College, Quonset Hut, and Columbia Records
34 Music Square East, Nashville, TN 37203
SESAC and Country Music Association (CMA)
35 Music Square East, Nashville TN
Decca Records
27 Music Square East, Nashville, Tennessee 37203
Warner Music and Warner Production
21 Music Square East, Nashville, TN 37203
BMI and Frances Preston
10 Music Square East Nashville, TN 37203
Spence Manor Motor Hotel and Webb Pierce Guitar Swimming Pool
11 Music Square East, Nashville, TN 37203