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It’s been a busy day for monetary information from publicly traded firms.
This morning (April 29), South Korean leisure large HYBE, and Spotify, the world’s largest subscription music streaming platform, introduced their respective Q1 outcomes.
Now, it’s the flip of Common Music Group, the world’s largest music rights firm.
The headline stat from UMG’s Q1 outcomes (for the three months to finish of March), filed on Tuesday (April 29): The corporate generated revenues of EUR €2.901 billion (USD $3.052bn) throughout all of its divisions (together with recorded music, publishing and extra).
That Q1 income determine was up9.5% YoYat fixed foreign money, pushed, in response to UMG, by stable development in Recorded Music and Music Publishing.
One other massive spotlight from UMG’s Q1 outcomes was the corporate’s subscription streaming revenues, which grew 9.3%YoY at fixed foreign money to succeed in €1.252 billion($1.317bn) in Q1.
Photograph: Austin Hargrave
“Our sturdy outcomes – and our confidence concerning the future – mirror the execution of our strategic plan, together with constantly creating and breaking the world’s most profitable artists and songwriters by connecting them with billions of followers in new and progressive methods.”
Commenting on the corporate’s newest earnings announcement, UMG’s Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, stated: “Our sturdy outcomes – and our confidence concerning the future – mirror the execution of our strategic plan, together with constantly creating and breaking the world’s most profitable artists and songwriters by connecting them with billions of followers in new and progressive methods.”
RECORDED MUSIC
Common’s general Recorded Music income for the primary quarter of 2025 was €2.241 billion ($2.358bn), up 10.3% YoY at fixed foreign money (see beneath).
Inside the Recorded Music phase, UMG’s ‘Subscription and streaming revenues’ (together with ad-supported and subscription streaming revenues) grew 7.2% YoY at fixed foreign money to €1.605 billion ($1.688bn).
Breaking UMG’s recorded music streaming determine down additional reveals that the corporate’s subscription streaming revenues particularly grew 9.3%YoY at fixed foreign money to succeed in €1.252 billion($1.317bn), primarily pushed, in response to UMG, “by the expansion in world subscribers”.
Common’s ad-supported recorded music streaming income, in the meantime, grew 0.3% YoY at fixed foreign money to succeed in €353 million ($371.46m). In line with UMG, this consequence mirrored “consumption contin[uing] to shift from higher monetized video platforms to short-form platforms, which aren’t but as nicely monetized”.
Inside Common’s recorded music enterprise, Bodily income elevated 15.4% YoYat fixed foreign money to €300 million ($315.69m), pushed by vinyl gross sales development within the US and Europe.
License and different income elevated29.8% YoY at fixed foreign money to €296 million ($311.48m), pushed, in response to UMG, by “significantly sturdy reside earnings in sure markets, in addition to by development in synchronisation earnings”.
High sellers for the quarter included releases from Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, Woman Gaga, The Weeknd and Mrs. GREEN APPLE.
MUSIC PUBLISHING
UMG’s Music Publishing division,Common Music Publishing Group, generated revenues of €555 million ($584.02m) in Q1, up 9.5% YoY at fixed foreign money.
Digital income grew 16.9% YoY at fixed foreign money to €339 million ($356.72m), pushed, in response to UMG, “by continued development in streaming and subscription income”.
Efficiency income declined 1.7% YoY at fixed foreign money to €114 million ($119.96m). In line with UMG, there was “tough comparability towards greater society funds within the US and stronger reside exercise in Europe within the prior 12 months quarter”.
Synchronization income, in the meantime, was flat at fixed foreign money, at €64 million ($67.34m). Mechanical income grew by 4% YoY at fixed foreign money to succeed in €26 million ($27.35m).
Merchandising and Different
UMG’s Merchandising and Different income within the first quarter of 2025 reached €112 million ($117.85m) in Q1, a lower of 5.1% YoY at fixed foreign money.
In line with UMG, “timing-related declines in touring merchandise gross sales had been partially offset by wholesome development in direct-to-consumer gross sales”.
EBITDA ETC.
In Q1 2025, UMG’s EBITDA (earnings earlier than curiosity, taxes, and depreciation) grew 21.6% YoY at fixed foreign money to €603 million ($634.53m).
EBITDA margin was 20.8%, in comparison with 18.9% within the first quarter of 2024.
Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 was €661 million ($695.57m), up 10% YoY at fixed foreign money.
Adjusted EBITDA margin remained constant at 22.8% (see beneath).
Commenting on the outcomes, Boyd Muir, COO and CFO of UMG, added: “2025 is off to a powerful begin, with multi-faceted income development in recorded music and music publishing in addition to wholesome Adjusted EBITDA development.
“Our concentrate on our key strategic initiatives positions us to attain our mid-term monetary targets.”
All EUR-USD conversions made on the common charge of the related interval in response to the European Central Financial institutionMusic Enterprise Worldwide
