Why does Joe Alwyn receive money for Taylor Swift songs and how much has he earned?

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn ended their relationship a little over a year ago, but their time together remains profitable. While Alwyn is best known as an actor, the 33-year-old also earning cheques from a successful musical collaboration with his ex-partner.

During his six-year relationship with Swift, Alwyn co-wrote six of the singer’s tracks, under the pseudonym William Bowery.

Which Taylor Swift songs did Joe Alwyn co-write?

Alwyn has writing credits for the following songs: “Exile” and “Betty” on Swift’s 2020 album Folklore; “Champagne Problems”, “Coney Island” and “Evermore” on the album Evermore, also brought out in 2020; and “Sweet Nothing” on the 2022 record Midnights.

Given that Alwyn is registered as a co-writer, the Conversations with Friends star receives royalty payments.

How much money has Alwyn made from Swift songs?

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Alwyn earns a five-figure sum each year for his contributions to Swift’s discography. In total, an analysis by Life & Style claims, he has pocketed around $2.3 million just from Spotify streams of the songs he co-wrote.

“Fair or not, it’s made him a very rich guy,” a source told Life & Style. “Joe is making so much on royalties and returns from [Swift’s] Eras tour that he doesn’t ever need to worry about money again.”

Play Taylor Swift’s Heardle game now

Alwyn’s a Grammy winner, too

In addition to significantly boosting his bank balance, Alwyn’s involvement in the creation of Swift tracks also means he has a Grammy award to his name. At the 2021 Grammys, Folklore scooped Album of the Year - one of a record four occasions that a record released by Swift has claimed the accolade.

Although Alwyn features as writer on Midnights, which earned Album of the Year honours at February’s Grammys, a recent rule change by the awards’ organisers prevented him from receiving a second gong in the category. As of June 2023, artists who collaborated on an album must be credited with at least 20% of the record’s running time to qualify for Album of the Year recognition.