Solo Artist

Ed Sheeran

Active2004-present
OriginHalifax, West Yorkshire, England
Albums8
Tracks110

Most frequent collaborator: Johnny McDaid  ·  30 tracks

PopFolk PopAcoustic PopR&BHip-Hop Soul
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 110 of 110 tracks

Did Ed Sheeran write his own songs?

Yes, effectively all of them, but almost always with co-writers. Ed Sheeran holds a writing credit on nearly every track he records, one of the highest authorship rates of any stadium-level pop star. Only a small number, like 'Perfect,' are written entirely on his own; most, from 'Shape of You' to 'Bad Habits,' are co-written with a tight circle such as Johnny McDaid, Steve Mac, and Amy Wadge.

By the Numbers

8
Studio Albums
110
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
200M+
Records Sold
22
Years Active
139
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 110 / 110 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 110 tracks: how many Ed Sheeran wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Ed Sheeran has a writing credit100%
6%
94%
Sole author7tracks6%
Co-written103tracks94%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Ed Sheeran's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 110 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)100%
Producer34%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Ed Sheeran's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2011+ (Plus)
2014× (Multiply)
2017÷ (Divide)
2019No.6 Collaborations Project
2021= (Equals)
2023- (Subtract)
2023Autumn Variations
2025Play
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
2010s
+ (Plus), × (Multiply) +2 more
100%
2020s
= (Equals), - (Subtract) +2 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Ed Sheeran sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Ed Sheeran
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%
BLACKPINK13%
Backstreet Boys25%
Rihanna44%
Selena Gomez60%
Usher74%
Mariah Carey87%
100%Ed Sheeran
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

The A Team
+ (Plus)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Jake Gosling
Co-wrote
You Need Me, I Don't Need You
+ (Plus)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Jake Gosling
Co-wrote
Lego House
+ (Plus)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Jake Gosling, Chris Leonard
Co-wrote
Sing
× (Multiply)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Pharrell Williams
Co-wrote
Don't
× (Multiply)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Benjamin Levin
Co-wrote
Thinking Out Loud
× (Multiply)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge
Co-wrote
Photograph
× (Multiply)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Martin Harrington, Thomas Leonard
Co-wrote
Shape of You
÷ (Divide)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac, Johnny McDaid, Kandi Burruss, Tameka Cottle
Co-wrote
Castle on the Hill
÷ (Divide)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Benny Blanco
Co-wrote
Galway Girl
÷ (Divide)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance, Amy Wadge, Johnny McDaid, Eamon Murray, Liam Bradley, Niamh Dunne, Damian McKee, Seán Óg Graham
Co-wrote
Perfect
÷ (Divide)
Written by Ed Sheeran
Wrote it
I Don't Care (feat. Justin Bieber)
No.6 Collaborations Project
Written by Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Jason Boyd, Fred Gibson, Johan Schuster, Max Martin
Co-wrote
Beautiful People (feat. Khalid)
No.6 Collaborations Project
Written by Ed Sheeran, Khalid Donnel Robinson, Fred Gibson, Max Martin, Johan Schuster, Alex Gibson
Co-wrote
Cross Me (feat. Chance the Rapper & PnB Rock)
No.6 Collaborations Project
Written by Ed Sheeran, Chancelor Bennett, Rakim Allen, Fred Gibson
Co-wrote
Take Me Back to London (feat. Stormzy)
No.6 Collaborations Project
Written by Ed Sheeran, Michael Omari, Fred Gibson, Max Martin, Johan Schuster
Co-wrote
Bad Habits
= (Equals)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Fred Gibson
Co-wrote
Shivers
= (Equals)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Kal Lavelle, Steve Mac, Fred Gibson
Co-wrote
Overpass Graffiti
= (Equals)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Fred Gibson
Co-wrote
Eyes Closed
- (Subtract)
Written by Ed Sheeran, Aaron Dessner, Max Martin, Johan Schuster, Fred Gibson
Co-wrote
Azizam
Play
Written by Ed Sheeran, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Johnny McDaid, Savan Kotecha
Co-wrote
Sapphire
Play
Written by Ed Sheeran, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Johnny McDaid, Savan Kotecha, Mayur Puri, Arijit Singh, Avinash Chouhan
Co-wrote

Discography 8 albums

Covers all 8 studio albums.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Ed Sheeran110 tracks
JM30 AD28 FG23 JG16 BB10 BL9

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. JM Johnny McDaid · AD Aaron Dessner · FG Fred Gibson · JG Jake Gosling · BB Benny Blanco · BL Benjamin Levin

The Writers & Producers Behind Ed Sheeran 6 key collaborators

JM
Johnny McDaid
Songwriter
× (Multiply) / ÷ (Divide) / = (Equals) / Play30 tracks
AD
Aaron Dessner
Songwriter
- (Subtract) / Autumn Variations28 tracks
FG
Fred Gibson
Songwriter
No.6 Collaborations Project / = (Equals) / - (Subtract) / Play23 tracks
JG
Jake Gosling
Producer & Songwriter
+ (Plus) / × (Multiply)16 tracks
BB
Benny Blanco
Producer
× (Multiply) / ÷ (Divide) / No.6 Collaborations Project10 tracks
BL
Benjamin Levin
Songwriter
× (Multiply) / ÷ (Divide) / No.6 Collaborations Project9 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Ed Sheeran is credited as a writer on effectively every song he records, one of the highest authorship rates of any stadium-level pop star. But the numbers show he is a co-writer, not a lone one: only a small fraction of his tracks, like 'Perfect,' are written entirely by himself. Almost everything else is built with a tight circle of collaborators, above all Johnny McDaid, Steve Mac, Amy Wadge, and Fred again.. He also writes hits for other artists, such as 'Love Yourself' for Justin Bieber, which do not appear in his own catalog here.

Quick Facts

  • GrammysWon Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for 'Thinking Out Loud' (2016)
  • Shape of YouBroke Spotify's day-one streaming record and was the best-selling single of 2017 worldwide
  • Songwriter for hireWrote 'Love Yourself' for Justin Bieber and songs for other artists
  • Co-writing circleRegularly writes with Johnny McDaid, Steve Mac, Amy Wadge, and Fred again..
  • StyleAcoustic pop built on loop-pedal live performances, blending folk, R&B, and hip-hop

Creative Fingerprint

Present on everything, solo on almost nothing: Ed Sheeran holds a writing credit on effectively every song he records, but he is a co-writer, building nearly all of it with a tight circle like Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac rather than writing alone.

The Story

Ed Sheeran is a British singer-songwriter who rose to global fame with his debut album '+' in 2011, building a career on intimate acoustic pop anchored by loop-pedal performances and confessional lyricism. Known for effortlessly blending pop, folk, R&B, and hip-hop influences, he has become one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with multiple record-breaking singles and stadium tours. His ability to write across genres, from heartfelt ballads to dancehall-inflected pop, has made him one of the most commercially successful and critically recognized artists of his generation.

Awards & Recognition

'Thinking Out Loud' won the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance (2016)
Over 200 million records sold worldwide, one of the best-selling music artists of all time
'Shape of You' broke Spotify's day-one streaming record and was the best-selling single of 2017 in both the UK and US
As a songwriter, co-wrote 'Love Yourself,' a US number-one hit for Justin Bieber (2015)

Frequently Asked Questions Ed Sheeran

Did Ed Sheeran write his own songs?
Yes, effectively all of them, but almost always with co-writers. Ed Sheeran holds a writing credit on nearly every track he records, one of the highest authorship rates of any stadium-level pop star. Only a small number, like 'Perfect,' are written entirely on his own; most, from 'Shape of You' to 'Bad Habits,' are co-written with a tight circle such as Johnny McDaid, Steve Mac, and Amy Wadge.
Who wrote 'Shape of You'?
'Shape of You' (2017) was co-written by Ed Sheeran with Steve Mac and Johnny McDaid. The writers of TLC's 'No Scrubs' were later added to the credits over a melodic similarity, which is why more names appear on the song.
Who wrote 'Perfect'?
'Perfect' (2017) is one of the few songs Ed Sheeran wrote entirely by himself, with no co-writers. He has said he wrote it about his wife, Cherry Seaborn.
Who wrote 'Thinking Out Loud'?
'Thinking Out Loud' (2014) was co-written by Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge. It won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2016.
Does Ed Sheeran write songs for other artists?
Yes. He co-wrote 'Love Yourself,' a US number-one for Justin Bieber (2015), and has written for other artists too. Those songs are not part of his own studio catalogue.
How many albums has Ed Sheeran released?
This catalogue covers 8 of his releases, from + (Plus) in 2011 across his symbol-titled album series to Play.
How many records has Ed Sheeran sold?
Over 200 million worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Who are Ed Sheeran's main co-writers?
A small, consistent group: Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol, producer Steve Mac, Amy Wadge, Benny Blanco, and Fred again.. appear across many of his biggest hits. He rarely writes with people outside this circle.
Did Ed Sheeran win a Grammy?
Yes. Among his wins, 'Thinking Out Loud' took Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2016 Grammys.
What is Ed Sheeran known for musically?
Acoustic, confessional pop that he often performs live using a loop pedal, layering one guitar into a full arrangement. His songs move between folk balladry, pop, R&B, and hip-hop.

Sources

Wikipedia: Ed Sheeran Wikipedia: + (Ed Sheeran album) Wikipedia: × (Ed Sheeran album) Wikipedia: ÷ (Ed Sheeran album) Wikipedia: No. 6 Collaborations Project Wikipedia: = (Ed Sheeran album) Wikipedia: - (Ed Sheeran album)