Ed Sheeran Leaves Warner Music After 15 Years
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- Ed Sheeran announced via his newsletter that he is leaving Warner Music after 15 years and eight full-length albums.
- Warner Music confirmed the departure and said the catalog will stay with the company in a continued partnership, while his newer releases remain under a long‑term distribution deal with his Gingerbread Man label.
- Gingerbread Man label now holds the rights to Sheeran’s recent releases, which are licensed to Warner for distribution.
- Max Lousada and former Warner executive Julie Greenwald have left the company, with Greenwald recently launching a new label with Sony Music.
- Universal Music Group has not confirmed any rumor that Sheeran is negotiating a deal with them.
Why it matters: Warner loses a flagship artist who generated over 200 million album sales, while Sheeran retains rights to his recent catalog, potentially boosting his own label’s earnings and reshaping distribution dynamics for future releases.
