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Iconic comedian reveals jaw-dropping cost of playing Taylor Swift song at his show

BBG News

Comedian Marc Maron disclosed the staggering amount he shelled out to incorporate Taylor Swift‘s tunes in his live performance.

This week, during his interview on the Vulture’s Good One podcast, the 61-year-old celebrity disclosed a five-digit amount.

He mentioned that the cost seemed to be approximately $50,000. He went to great lengths to ensure his parody of the 35-year-old artist’s 2022 song “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” would reach her.

He said he initially reached out to Swift’s longtime collaborator, musician Jack Antonoff. 

Maron stated that he knows Jack Antonoff well enough to text him directly. He explained further that Jack is a co-writer for the song in question. In a situation where they were running low on funds for the project and it seemed likely they would need to cover the costs themselves, Maron asked if Jack could do something about the song or perhaps speak with Taylor Swift.

The representatives of Taylor have been reached out to by DailyMail.com concerning Maron’s payment allegation, however, they haven’t responded yet.

Maron explained that Antonoff instructed him to follow the standard procedures to secure a license for the song that appeared on Swift’s Midnights album.

He mentioned regarding the costs, ‘It was achievable. We had enough earnings. It was a close call, but thanks to the revenue from the [televised edition of the] special, we were able to secure that song.’

The cost permitted him to only sing a brief snippet of the melody; prolonging it would result in financial penalties.

‘If I would have gone over the minute, it would have been more money,’ he divulged.

The performer reminisced about an occasion where they didn’t allow events to unfold naturally, not even allowing the special to air. Instead, they collaborated with a group of musicians to compose the music used as both the opening and closing themes. Yes, it was less than a minute long.

As a devoted admirer, I couldn’t help but underscore my personal connection with the song when I prepared for my stand-up routine. It was crucial for me to incorporate it into my performance, as I felt its resonance deeply.

He firmly believed that the situation was inevitable. His primary concern was, in essence, that if she disapproved of it, he wouldn’t be able to perform a particular task, and it would hinder his work on the special project. That’s why he found himself hoping, “I hope she’ll appreciate the idea.

The star mentioned that although Swift’s group granted permission for him to utilize the music, he remains unsure if the artist behind “Cruel Summer” has listened to his contribution.

Ever since 2009, I’ve been proudly wielding the microphone for my beloved podcast, WTF With Marc Maron. It feels like I’ve been part of the original wave of podcast pioneers!

Towards the end of June, it was revealed that he, along with producer Brendan McDonald, will be concluding their show by the end of this year, as reported by Variety.

He informed his audience during a show with comedian John Mulaney as a guest that the popular series ‘WTF’ is nearing its conclusion, and it is their choice to bring it to an end. They plan to air their last episode sometime this autumn.

He admitted openly, ‘Making this decision wasn’t particularly challenging for us. In fact, Brendan and I—the ones responsible for this operation at every single level—came to a mutual understanding that it was time for us to move on.’

Marc is currently promoting the animated family comedy The Bad Guys 2, in theaters August 1.

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2025-07-27 22:33

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