Who do I actually pay to clear 'Shape of You'?

Two parties: the master owner (Atlantic Records UK) and the publishing side (EMI APRIL MUSIC INC, SONY/ATV SONGS LLC, SONGS OF WINDSWEPT PACIFIC, and others). You don't pay the artist directly.

Can I clear 'Shape of You' on a small budget?

Fees depend heavily on the use. For tight budgets, consider a narrower territory, shorter term, or limited media — or run your exact scenario in the tool to see what's realistic.

Clearance planning

How much does it cost to license
'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran?

A realistic starting point is roughly $10,800 – $17,600 for a regional TV + online advertising campaign in Serbia, 1-year term — but the real work is knowing who you actually clear it with. Here's how a supervisor would approach it.

Master + publishing split•Complexity: high•Typical timeline: 3–6 weeks

Where an experienced supervisor would start

$10,800 – $17,600

For a regional TV + online advertising campaign in Serbia, 1-year term.

Combined opening ask (master + publishing together). Fees are negotiated separately with each rights holder; this is not a per-side quote doubled.

Advertising · brand_campaign · TV + Online/Social · 1 year · Regional client · national-scale media budget

At this tier, majors often decline rather than discount further — clearance itself may be uncertain on a small-market budget.

Based on 300+ real clearances — an independent estimate, not a quote.

Different market or use? Run your exact scenario →

Who controls it

The two sides you have to clear

Rights holders below are the controlling parties for this work. Composition identity is anchored to the international works registry (ISWC) where available; publisher names reflect US registration on the mechanical licensing database (MLC) and other public registries — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.

Master recording

Atlantic Records UK

Recording ID (ISRC)

GBAHS1600463

International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) — pins the exact master you are clearing.

Composition (publishing)

Work ID (ISWC)

T9204649558

International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC) — the composition’s identifier in the global works registry (CISAC standard).

EMI APRIL MUSIC INC (7.1%)Universal Music Publishing Group
US registration (MLC) — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.
SONY/ATV SONGS LLC (28.3%)Sony Music Publishing
US registration (MLC) — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.
SONGS OF WINDSWEPT PACIFIC (7.2%)
US registration (MLC) — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.
UNIVERSAL - POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL PUB INC (28.3%)Universal Music Publishing Group
US registration (MLC) — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.
KOBALT MUSIC PUB AMERICA INC (29%)Kobalt Music Group
US registration (MLC) — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.
AIR CONTROL MUSIC INC
US registration (MLC) — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.
TINY TAM MUSIC
US registration (MLC) — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.
KANDACY MUSIC
US registration (MLC) — confirm the local sub-publisher for your territory before signing.
+6 more publishers on record in registry data

Writers

JOHN MCDAID · KANDI L BURRUSS · STEVEN MCCUTCHEON · TAMEKA D COTTLE · EDWARD CHRISTOPHER SHEERAN · KEVIN BRIGGS

Sources: international works registry (ISWC) · US mechanical licensing database (MLC) · Spotify label metadata. Match confidence: 85%.

Who you'd actually approach

For a Serbia clearance

Serbia

Master: approach Atlantic Records UK — the recording owner or their sync representative for Serbia.

Publishing: Start with the controlling publisher listed above (identified via ISWC and registry cross-checks) (EMI APRIL MUSIC INC). For Serbia, the US-registered administrator shown may not be who you contact locally — confirm the territorial sub-publisher before signing.

The responsible party changes by territory. For a different market, the local sub-publisher or sub-label may differ — run your territory in the tool.

The plan

How a supervisor would clear it, step by step

1Confirm the exact recording (ISRC GBAHS1600463). A remaster, live, or re-record has different owners and different pricing.
2Master side — contact Atlantic Records UK's sync department for Serbia.
3Composition side — go to the publishing administrator (EMI APRIL MUSIC INC) who licenses on behalf of the writers.
4Confirm licensability for your use (advertising). Some uses or brands get declined.
5Request quotes in parallel. Expect an MFN clause — the two sides will match each other.
6Negotiate scope — term, territory, media, exclusivity. Each moves the fee.
7Paper it. Signed licences from both before use. Budget 3–6 weeks at this complexity.

A note on the data. Composition rights are anchored to the international works registry (ISWC). Publisher names and US administrator details come from the US mechanical licensing database (MLC) and other public registries — useful for identifying controlling publishers, but not a complete territory-by-territory sync map. For a clearance in Serbia, confirm the local sub-publisher or administrator before signing. We surface the controlling publisher, not every territorial sub-publisher (no database reliably maps that). Treat the fee range above as a starting point for negotiation, not a quote.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to license 'Shape of You'?: There's no fixed price. For a regional TV + online advertising campaign in Serbia, 1-year term, a realistic combined opening ask (master + publishing together) is roughly $10,800 – $17,600 — driven by the song's profile, the use, territory, and term. Each rights holder negotiates separately; this is not "per side" doubled. Other uses cost far less or more.
Who do I actually pay to clear 'Shape of You'?: Two parties: the master owner (Atlantic Records UK) and the publishing side (EMI APRIL MUSIC INC, SONY/ATV SONGS LLC, SONGS OF WINDSWEPT PACIFIC, and others). You don't pay the artist directly.
Can I clear 'Shape of You' on a small budget?: Fees depend heavily on the use. For tight budgets, consider a narrower territory, shorter term, or limited media — or run your exact scenario in the tool to see what's realistic.

Independent estimate, not a quote. Music Oracle is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artist, the label, or the publishers named above. Rights-holder data is drawn from the international works registry (ISWC), US mechanical licensing records (MLC), release credits, and other public registries — and may be incomplete. Actual fees are set by the rights holders and negotiated case by case. Figures are illustrative starting points based on market experience.