Ed Sheeran says illegal fire sharing "made" him as an artist.
The ‘Shape Of You’ hitmaker credits the practice for getting his name on the map when he was starting out as British students were sharing his music amongst themselves.
He said: "It was file sharing. I know that’s a bad thing to say, because I’m part of a music industry that doesn’t like illegal file sharing. Yeah, but illegal fire sharing was what made me. It was students in England going to university, sharing my songs with each other."
However, Ed doesn’t believe the more traditional file sharing exists at the moment because people prefer to rip songs off sites like YouTube.
He added: "I don’t think file sharing exists now … Yeah, I think people rip off YouTube. That’s a thing. But I feel like it’s so easy to stream."
The 26-year-old singer recently returned to the music scene after having a year off, something he decided to do as he felt he was "in a spiral of work and partying that probably would’ve ended not well".
Asked why he took a break, he shared: "Not losing touch, but I was definitely in a spiral of work and partying that probably would’ve ended not well.
"But also, I think, as much as I needed a break, I think the public needs a break from you. If you continually are just in everyone’s face the whole time, eventually they’re gonna be like, ‘Eehhh, yeah, you know what, I’m cool.’"
Ed made a point of avoiding being in his music videos at first because he didn’t like the way he looks on screen but says he has no choice now as people like it more when he has the starring role.
He told CBS News: "That was me at the beginning of my career. I wasn’t in any music videos at all … I just don’t like the way I look on film. Yeah, deep! … I just can’t hold it back now. My songs sell more if I’m in the video."
Ed Sheeran: Illegal file sharing ‘made’ me
