PPL can reveal that Ed Sheeran was the most played artist across radio, TV and public places in the UK throughout 2025. It’s the eighth time in 11 years he has achieved the accolade, having last topped the chart in 2023.
PPL licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places across the UK, including shops, bars, restaurants, gyms, offices and warehouses, and receives extensive airplay reporting data from broadcasters and public performance venues. In 2025, this information was used to distribute royalty payments to more than 182,000 performers and recording rightsholders when their music was broadcast or played in public.
Ed Sheeran has dominated the Most Played Artist chart for more than a decade. He first secured the top spot in 2015 and has featured in the top three every year since 2017. This year, he lands not one but two tracks in the Most Played chart, with ‘Sapphire’ at number eight and ‘Azizam’ close behind at number nine – underscoring his enduring appeal with audiences across the UK.
With an extraordinary 15 years of airplay on UK radio and TV, Ed Sheeran’s music is played an average of 574 times per day, equating to 24 plays per hour. In 2025, Ed’s most played track was ‘Sapphire’, which accounted for 19% of his airplay across the year. This was followed by ‘Azizam’ in second place, with ‘Camera’ taking third spot. ‘Shape Of You’ remains his most played song of all time, averaging 37 plays per day.
For the third year running, Taylor Swift has claimed the second spot in the chart, with last year’s number one, Dua Lipa, returning in third place. It is also the third consecutive year that all three artists – Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa – have held top three positions in the Most Played Artist chart, demonstrating their continuing popularity with UK music fans.
Rounding out the top five are Calvin Harris at number four and David Guetta at number five, with Coldplay close behind at number six – previously named by PPL as the most played British group of the 21st century. UK artists continued to feature prominently across the chart, claiming five of the top 10 spots, including Elton John who makes a fourth consecutive appearance in the Top 10 chart.
Ariana Grande also enjoyed a strong year, ranking eighth, with Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga completing the Top 10, in ninth and tenth place respectively. Myles Smith, who achieved the most played track of the year, came in at number 11.
Ed Sheeran said: “I am so grateful to be named Most Played Artist across TV, radio and venues across the UK for an incredible eighth time. A huge thanks to everyone who has played my music over the last year, and over the last 15 years. I really appreciate the continuing support.”
PPL Most Played Artists 2025
- Ed Sheeran
- Taylor Swift
- Dua Lipa
- Calvin Harris
- David Guetta
- Coldplay
- Elton John
- Ariana Grande
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Lady Gaga
Most Played Tracks: Myles Smith leads the way
Myles Smith’s ‘Nice To Meet You’ was the most played track on radio, TV and in public places throughout 2025, followed by Lola Young’s ‘Messy’ and Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ in second and third place respectively. UK acts claimed six of the top 10 spots, with Sam Fender at number four with ‘People Watching’, Ed Sheeran landing two entries – ‘Sapphire’ at number eight and ‘Azizam’ at number nine – and Smith returning at number 10 with ‘Stargazing’. Other top 10 tracks include ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ ‘APT.’ at number five, Benson Boone’s ‘Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else’ at number six and Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’ at number seven.
Myles Smith said: “Having the most played song in the UK last year with ‘Nice to Meet You’, and seeing ‘Stargazing’ still in the top 10 – honestly it still doesn’t feel real. I’m so grateful to everyone who has listened, to my fans who have been with me from the beginning, and to everyone at radio and in the venues who has supported the music. It means everything.”
New and emerging artists make their mark
Breakthrough artists feature prominently in this year’s Most Played Tracks list, with newer performers playing a major role in driving airplay. Artists including Myles Smith, Lola Young, Benson Boone, Gracie Abrams, Chappell Roan and Olivia Dean feature across the Top 20, signalling an appetite for fresh, contemporary music.
PPL Most Played Tracks 2025
- Nice To Meet You – Myles Smith
- Messy – Lola Young
- Ordinary – Alex Warren
- People Watching – Sam Fender
- APT. – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
- Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else – Benson Boone
- Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
- Sapphire – Ed Sheeran
- Azizam – Ed Sheeran
- Stargazing – Myles Smith
Peter Leathem OBE, PPL CEO, said: “A huge congratulations to Ed Sheeran for once again topping PPL’s Most Played Artist chart, and to Myles Smith for securing the most played track of the year. This was another impressive year for UK artists, with homegrown talent continuing to resonate strongly with audiences across the UK. It’s also great to see new artists breaking through alongside firm fan favourites, demonstrating the breadth and variety of music being enjoyed by listeners in public spaces and across broadcast platforms nationwide.”
