Ed Sheeran Exits Warner Music Group After 15 Years

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has officially parted ways with Warner Music Group after a 15-year association, saying he now feels the need for “a shift and change” in the way he approaches his professional life.

Sheeran announced the move through a message sent to fans, clarifying that the split was amicable and not driven by conflict with the label. The singer reflected on how much his life has evolved since signing with Asylum Records, a Warner Music subsidiary, as a teenager in 2011.

“This isn’t a ‘disgruntled artist leaves record label’ type situation,” Sheeran wrote, adding that becoming a father and growing personally over the years influenced his decision to seek a new professional direction.

During his tenure with Warner, Sheeran emerged as one of the world’s biggest music stars, releasing multiple chart-topping albums and global hits including Shape of You, Perfect and Thinking Out Loud. According to reports, his catalogue generated billions of streams and helped cement his status as one of the defining artists of the streaming era.

Despite the departure, Warner Music will continue to retain rights to much of Sheeran’s existing catalogue. His recent releases, including Autumn Variations and Play, were issued through his own imprint, Gingerbread Man Records, under licensing arrangements with Warner’s Atlantic label.