Ed Sheeran has never underestimated the role his fans have played in catapulting him to the pinnacle of the British music scene, amassing a staggering £370 million fortune along the way.
When Sheeran recently made the decision to part ways with his record label after a 15-year partnership, he unsurprisingly chose to share this significant update directly with the millions of loyal followers who have supported his remarkable ascent.
“This isn’t a ‘disgruntled artist leaves record label’ situation,” Sheeran clarified in his announcement.
“It’s about a young artist who started with the company as a teenager with one set of priorities, and is now a father of two, who feels the need for change,” he explained.
While his announcement reverberated throughout the music industry, Sheeran omitted that he walked away from what some have described as an “incredible deal.” This has led to speculation that the “Shape of You” singer may have grown disenchanted with his label, Warner.
Though many have praised Sheeran’s respectful farewell, industry insiders are questioning whether the company retains its former prestige since Aaron Bay-Schuck, son of Hollywood actors John Schuck and Susan Bay, took the helm last year.
Ed Sheeran decided to leave his record label after 15 years. Pictured: Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn during The BRIT Awards 2022 at The O2 Arena
Pictured: Sheeran performs live on stage as he plays a surprise support set for The Darkness at The Roundhouse on December 09, 2023 in London
Since then, sources say that the label has ‘become a ****show’ with American Bay-Schuck and his sidekick Tom Corson apparently ‘not caring’ what happens in the UK office.
In fact, some say it has become like ‘a satellite’ operation – a staggering prospect, given it is still the home to top names including Coldplay, Liam Gallagher and Kylie Minogue.
While they are making profits, a drive was announced last year to slash costs by $300million (£223million), leading to a ‘bloodbath’ within the organisation.
Today, Warner’s once pristine office just off Kensington High Street has been described as a sad reflection of what it once was, with one former staff member describing ‘boxes lying everywhere’.
‘It’s like a removals firm,’ they say. ‘It looks like everyone is moving out. It’s very sad, it used to be a great place to be but in the last year things have really changed. No wonder Ed wants out.
‘There is a feeling there is little care for the UK these days, that it’s being run by people in Los Angeles disconnected from London, with a nepo baby at the top. Losing Ed is an absolute disaster for them.’
Sheeran, 35, signed to Atlantic records, a subsidiary of Warner, in 2011. Since then he has sold an estimated 200million albums and Shape Of You, with nearly five billion streams on Spotify, is one of the most streamed songs in history.
His huge profits have enabled him to build his own ‘town’, dubbed ‘Sheeranville’, close to where he grew up in Framlingham, Suffolk, which features a sprawling home, a pub, a chapel and a nature pond.
As for Ed’s future, he is yet to announce which label he will go to, if any, but given his track record of sharing everything with his fans, it’s likely they will be the first to know once he makes up his mind.
Pictured: Aaron Bay-Schuck, CEO & Co-chairman, Warner Records, in 2025
Sheeran already has his own label, Gingerbread, which is ensconced within Warner. Pictured: Sheeran performs with The Offspring at 2024 BottleRock at Napa Valley Expo on May 26, 2024
Sources are quick to say he is a ‘different person’ to the one he was 15 years ago.
Today, he sees himself as a ‘grown-up’ and a businessman.
He is also a family man after marrying childhood sweetheart Cherry Seaborn and having two children, Lyra and Jupiter.
Industry insiders say that he is considering a move to 26.2 – a newly launched record label in partnership with Sony Music, led by former Warner executives Julie Greenwald and Max Lousada.
Lousada was part of the team who signed Sheeran in 2011 – but was fired by Warner 15 months ago.
It is understood that Ed took a ‘dim view’ of his sacking, as he did with other senior executives leaving the company.
It is said he worked well with them and respected them as people, as well as for their musical knowledge.
There is also chatter that he could sign with Warner’s rivals Universal or even go it alone. He already has his own label, Gingerbread, which is ensconced within Warner.
He recently signed British singer Dylan, real name Natasha Woods, after she was his support act during his concerts in both the US and the UK in 2022.
‘Ed doesn’t need Warner,’ says a source close to him. ‘A lot of people he worked with aren’t there anymore and it’s time for a change-up.
‘He wants more control, to renegotiate and choose who he works with again rather than the people who he feels have been forced upon him. He has built a team around him now who work solely for him.
‘It’s time for a refresh and a reset with people who understand him rather than people sitting on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.’
