Who Wrote the Love Story Song
The song Love Story was written by Taylor Swift, who also composed the music and lyrics. The production was handled by Nathan Chapman, who is credited as producer on the original studio recording. The official songwriting credits list Taylor Swift as the sole lyricist and composer for the standard release, as documented by performing rights organizations and major streaming platforms ASCAP.
The original recording was released under Big Machine Records, and the master recording rights for that version were held by the label at the time of release. The song appears on Swift's debut album Fearless, which was released in 2008 and became one of the best-selling albums of the decade in the United States.
Copyright, Ownership, and Licensing
Taylor Swift's publishing company, Taylor Swift Music, holds the songwriting copyright for Love Story. The master recording copyright for the original Big Machine version was initially owned by Big Machine Records, and later licensing and distribution were managed by Universal Music Group Universal Music Group.
After Swift's departure from Big Machine, she re-recorded the track as Love Story (Taylor's Version) under Republic Records. The re-recording credits list Swift as the performer and producer, with Christopher Rowe engineering the vocals and mixing. The new master is controlled by Swift's own entities, and the track is distributed globally through Universal Music Group's digital networks SEC filings.
Streaming Performance and Chart Data
Love Story has accumulated billions of streams across major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. On Spotify, the original Fearless version has surpassed one billion streams, placing it among Swift's most-streamed catalog tracks Spotify.
The re-recorded version, Love Story (Taylor's Version), has also reached high chart positions on Billboard and international charts since its release. Both versions are listed as separate entries on streaming services, with distinct ISRC codes, and the Taylor's Version recording is the primary version promoted on official artist profiles Billboard.