Ed Sheerans Record Label

Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter who is currently signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records. Both of these Record companies are part of the Warner Music group which shows a good example of horizontal integration. They are also both American record labels which shows Ed Sheeran is expanding into new markets & trying to achieve a wider fanbase in different parts of the world.

Atlantic Records

''Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz.Over its first 20 years of operation Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most important American independent recording labels, specializing in jazz, R&B and soul recordings by African-American artists, a position greatly enhanced by its distribution deal with Stax Records.

In 1967 Atlantic became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, now the Warner Music Group, and expanded into rock and pop music, signing Cream, Led Zeppelin, Yes and Foreigner. The label also has a number of deals with previously independent labels such as Must Destroy (which brought Goldie Lookin Chain and The Darkness into the label) and VP Records in Jamaica, home to reggae artists such as Sean Paul.''

This is an unusual label for Ed Sheeran to be on as it has no reference to indie/acoustic music but it is a rather large and well established record company as it has quite a wide span of genres.

Asylum Records

Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan for two albums. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/Asylum Records.

After various incarnations, today it is geared primarily towards hip-hop, along with rock and Alternative Metal. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and is currently distributed through Warner Bros. Records.

This Label also does not have much connections with the indie-acoustic genre although Ed Sheeran does have some link with rock & Alternative metal as they all include in instrument which is a guitar although in Alternative Metal an Electric Guitar is predominantly used while in our genre the acoustic guitar is used.