Ed Sheeran Departs Longtime Label Warner After 15 Years
After 15 years of collaboration, Ed Sheeran is officially parting ways with Warner Music Group. The global superstar shared the news with his fans via a newsletter on Friday, confirming that he concluded his tenure with Atlantic Records and Asylum Records last month.
Addressing the transition, Sheeran was quick to clarify that the decision was not born out of conflict. “This isn’t a ‘disgruntled artist leaves record label’ type situation,” he wrote. “This is a boy who started as a teenager on the company with different priorities, to the father of two who exists now, who feels like he needs a shift and change in the way he does things professionally.”
A New Chapter for a Global Icon
Sheeran’s journey with the label began in September 2011 with the release of his debut album, Plus. Over the following years, the partnership oversaw the release of six additional albums, including Multiply, Divide, Subtract, Equals, and his most recent project, Play. During this era, Sheeran evolved from a local pub performer into one of the most successful stadium-filling artists in music history.
Reflecting on his growth, Sheeran noted, “Over the last 15 years, I’ve put out so much music, and had so much success with that company. We’ve built something amazing together, and enjoyed such life-changing stuff happening to us.” He added, “I am, underneath it all, a singer-songwriter who plays pub gigs. And I’ve sort of morphed into this pop star who plays stadiums over 15 years; it’s a super amazing thing to have happened but also a lot to get your head around.”
Reflecting on Early Beginnings
Sheeran recalled the serendipitous start of his career, which began after a chance meeting with Ed Howard, the former head of A&R for Asylum. “I was 18 and I ended up crashing at his and his now-wife’s house. Whilst there I played him a bunch of music, and just chatted about life and what I wanted to do,” he shared. “I honestly didn’t know at the time he worked at a record label; I thought he was just someone cool who was letting me crash on his sofa.”
Warner Music Group expressed their gratitude in a statement, noting, “Warner Music Group is proud to have supported Ed through his discovery and remarkable rise over the past 15 years and grateful for his continued partnership. As we steward his iconic catalogue into the future, we’ll ensure that his music will touch hearts and move feet around the world for generations to come.”
While Sheeran has not yet disclosed where his future music will be released, he remains the founder of his own vanity label, Gingerbread Man Records, which operates under the Warner umbrella. His recent projects, Play and 2023’s Autumn Variations, were both released through that imprint.
