Ed Sheeran to join Interscope Records after leaving Warner Music
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Ed Sheeran is set to sign a new record deal with Interscope, sources have told The Hollywood Reporter, marking his next move after his long-standing contract with Warner Music Group ended earlier this year. The signing is significant because Sheeran ranks among the most-streamed and highest-grossing artists in the world, and his switch reflects a wider pattern of major acts leaving their long-time label homes. The reported agreement is described as a long-term arrangement, though the number of albums it covers remains unclear.
Sheeran, who first signed with Warner's Asylum and Atlantic labels in the UK in 2011, had spoken with several major companies, including Sony, before choosing Interscope, part of Universal Music Group. The move reunites him with Interscope chief executive John Janick, who previously worked with the singer while leading Warner's Elektra Records, and places him alongside artists such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar. Sheeran sits at number six on Spotify's all-time artist list with 83 million monthly listeners, and his +–=÷× tour is the third highest-grossing concert tour ever, though his recent albums — Subtract, Autumn Variations and Play — have charted lower than earlier hits. Warner will retain his back catalogue, including "Shape of You" and "Thinking Out Loud", and Sheeran said in a fan newsletter that his exit was amicable rather than a "disgruntled artist" departure.
- Ed Sheeran to sign a long-term deal with Interscope.
- Move follows the amicable end of his Warner contract.
- Reunites him with Interscope boss John Janick.
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Ed Sheeran, one of the world's biggest-selling and most-streamed pop artists, has been signed to Warner Music's Asylum and Atlantic labels since 2011. That contract ended earlier this year, leaving him free to negotiate with other companies about where his music would be released next.
Record labels compete to sign major artists because of the money involved in album sales, streaming and touring, and because an artist's choice of label can shape their promotion and creative direction for years to come. Warner and Universal Music Group, the two companies at the centre of this story, are among the largest music corporations in the world, and moves by top-tier artists between them are watched closely across the industry.
The story matters because it reflects a broader trend of established stars renegotiating or ending long-term label deals, and because whichever company signs Sheeran stands to benefit from his enormous streaming numbers and touring revenue. Any deal would also need to address who controls his older songs, since these agreements typically separate future releases from an artist's existing back catalogue.
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Originally published by The Hollywood Reporter as “Ed Sheeran to Sign With Interscope Records (Exclusive)”.