Collaboration History and Songwriting Credits
Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have co-written multiple songs across different albums, with credits often including other producers and songwriters. Their most prominent joint writing effort appears on the track "Everything Has Changed" from Swift's 2012 album Red, where Sheeran is listed as a co-writer alongside Sheeran's long-time collaborator Amy Wadge. The pair also worked on "End Game" from Swift's 2017 album Reputation, which features Future and was produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with Sheeran receiving a writing credit. Additional credits include contributions to tracks on Swift's Midnights and Folklore eras, where Sheeran's melodic style and lyrical approach appear in songs that blend pop and indie-folk production. Copyright registration data and liner notes confirm these credits, and industry databases such as ASCAP and BMI record the splits between Swift, Sheeran, and other credited writers. For background on how music royalties are tracked and distributed, see the overview provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on digital asset and royalty reporting frameworks at https://www.sec.gov.
In interviews and press materials, both artists have described their songwriting process as collaborative, with Sheeran noting that Swift's melodic instincts and narrative style influenced the structure of several co-written tracks. Swift has also highlighted Sheeran's ability to craft simple, repeating hooks that align with her pop-oriented arrangements. These collaborations have been released under Swift's primary labels, including Republic Records and Big Machine Records, with distribution handled by Universal Music Group and, for earlier releases, by Big Machine's distribution partners. The copyright ownership for each track is typically split among the writers and their respective publishers, with master rights held by the record label that financed the recording. For a broader look at how major labels structure royalty agreements and streaming payouts, see the financial analysis published by Forbes at https://www.forbes.com.
Streaming Performance and Chart Rankings
Tracks featuring Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have accumulated hundreds of millions of streams across major platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. "Everything Has Changed" has been streamed tens of millions of times on Spotify alone, placing it among Swift's most-listened collaborations. "End Game" similarly achieved high streaming numbers and charted on Billboard's Hot 100, reaching the top 20 in the United States and charting in multiple international markets. Streaming data from Luminate, formerly Nielsen Music, tracks weekly and cumulative plays, and these figures are used by labels to calculate royalty payments based on per-stream rates that vary by platform and territory. For an explanation of how streaming royalties are calculated and reported, see the detailed breakdown provided by the Recording Industry Association of America at https://www.riaa.org.
On global charts, songs from the Reputation album, including "End Game," reached top positions in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and several European markets. Spotify's global and regional charts frequently list these tracks in its pop and collaborative playlists, which drives additional streams and visibility. Apple Music and Amazon Music also report high completion rates for these songs, indicating sustained listener engagement beyond initial release spikes. The performance of these tracks is measured against Swift's broader catalog, which includes billions of cumulative streams across all platforms, making her one of the most-streamed artists in history. For data on platform market share and streaming revenue trends, see the industry reports published by Billboard at https://www.billboard.com.
Royalty Splits, Publishing Deals, and Ownership Structure
Royalty splits for Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift co-written songs are typically divided among the writers and their publishers, with each party receiving a percentage of mechanical, performance, and sync royalties. In the United States, mechanical royalties for streaming are collected by the Harry Fox Agency or through direct licenses with digital service providers, while performance royalties are collected by performing