Sting sued by Police bandmates over Every Breath You Take streaming royalties

Sting is facing high court hearings this week after his former Police bandmates Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers sued him, alleging he owes them royalties from Every Breath You Take, particularly from streaming earnings estimated at $2m (£1.5m) in total. Sting’s legal team say prior agreements between the members do not include streaming revenue and have argued the pair may have been "substantially overpaid".

The court heard that since the lawsuit was filed Sting has paid Copeland and Summers $870,000 (£647,000) to redress what his lawyer called "certain admitted historic underpayments", but future potential earnings remain contested. Every Breath You Take is not a dormant asset: it sits in Spotify’s daily worldwide Top 10 and pulls in about 3.5m plays on that platform each day.

Streams jumped by 89% in 2024 and grew another 36% last year, with the song particularly popular in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Germany and the UK. Publishing income currently flows mostly to Sting, who is the sole credited songwriter, though Copeland and Summers receive 15% of the publishing under a 1977 agreement.

The song’s continued popularity has been aided by inclusion on the Stranger Things soundtrack (seasons two and four) and heavy use on TikTok.

Key Topics

Culture, Sting, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, The Police, Streaming Royalties