BTS are heading to Universal Music Group.

On Friday (22/10), Billboard revealed that the award-winning 'Butter' act will be ending their distribution arrangement with Sony Music (Columbia Records) for a new partnership with Universal Music Group. Their partnership is a licensing deal through UMG's Geffen division with distribution by INgrooves.

According to Billboard, the partnership is an effort by UMB CEO Lucian Grainge and Interscope Geffen A&M CEO John Janick. The move is planned to happen on 1 December this year, with HYBE confirming their departure via an official statement.

“We have decided to sign a new deal with Universal Music Group/Interscope regarding distribution and marketing in the United States and other regions. It is our continued effort to expand the strategic partnership with them, announced last February.

While we greatly appreciate our time with Sony (Columbia/Orchard) and will forever be grateful for all they have done and will continue to do, we look forward to our new chapter in partnership with Universal.”

"I strongly believe that UMG and Big Hit, two companies that endlessly pursued innovation, will create a synergy that will rewrite global music history," Bang Si-hyuk, founder of HYBE (formerly BigHit Entertainment) said earlier this year, when UMG and HYBE announced a new joint venture label with Geffen Records. UMG also currently distributes BTS' music in Japan.

BTS, Justin Bieber, and Olivia Rodrigo are Universal Music Group's top-selling artists earning almost US$1 billion for 2021

UMG's Geffen Records and HYBE previously announced a partnership to debut a global K-Pop boyband. On the other hand, BigHit Music has recently launched a global audition to search for its next generation of global superstars.

BTS signed with Sony, under The Orchard and Columbia, as the group's label distributor on singles in 2018.

In April, HYBE acquired 100% of Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings, which manages global pop stars Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, J Balvin, and more.

Watch BTS' 'Butter' music video below.