Taylor Swift has returned to the top of Billboard’s annual list of music moneymakers, a title she held in 2012 only to relinquish last year to Madonna.

    The 24-year-old earned US$39.7 million in 2013 from a combination of music sales, royalties and touring, according to the trade publication.

    Country star Kenny Chesney rose three places to second place, while Justin Timberlake came third.

    Rock acts Bon Jovi and the Rolling Stones rounded out this year’s top five.

    Swift’s global “Red Tour” helped her top the moneymakers, with six months in the United States bringing in an estimated US$30m.

    Swift’s album sales were eighth in the list of best-selling records in the United States last year, while she had 10 million U.S. downloads and came fifth in streaming royalties.

    The study compiled data from Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen BDS and Billboard Boxscore, using standard fees and formulas to work out royalties or management fees.(SD-Agencies)