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MBW’s Stat Of The Week is a sequence during which we spotlight an information level that deserves the eye of the worldwide music trade. Stat Of the Week is supported by music information analytics agency Chartmetric.
Warner Music Grouphas issued its monetary outcomes for the three months ended March 31, 2025 (calendar Q1 – the corporate’s fiscal Q2).
In accordance with the corporate’s fiscal Q2 (calendar Q1) outcomes, WMG noticed its quarterly world company-wide revenues attain USD $1.484 billion (throughout recorded music, music publishing, and different actions).
Complete income was up 1.2%YoY at fixed foreign money. The corporate pinned its income efficiency on “decrease Recorded Music artist providers and expanded-rights income,” which it mentioned was “partially offset by increased licensing and bodily income and development throughout Music Publishing digital, efficiency, synchronization and mechanical income”.
Warner’s calendar Q1 outcomes arrive alongside the information that half the Prime 10 of the Billboard International Chart is at present occupied by WMG artists, together with the Prime 3, with rising star Alex Warren’s hit Atypical at No.1.
“Our technique is beginning to bear fruit, with our strongest chart presence in two years, translating to increasing new launch market share within the US.”
“Our technique is beginning to bear fruit, with our strongest chart presence in two years, translating to increasing new launch market share within the US,” mentioned Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl in a observe to traders on Thursday (Could 8).
He added: “Because of this, our true energy this quarter was partially obscured by difficult comparisons with final 12 months’s outperformance.
“As we replicate our technique throughout different labels and geographies, and drive a virtuous cycle of better reinvestment, we anticipate to ship lasting worth for artists and songwriters, and sustained development and profitability for shareholders.”
RECORDED MUSIC
Warner Music Group’s recorded music revenues have been up 0.7% YoY at fixed foreign money to $1.175 billion.
In accordance with WMG, this efficiency was “pushed by decreases throughout digital and artist providers and expanded-rights income” and was “partially offset by development in bodily and licensing income”.
Warner’s recorded music streaming income (together with ad-supported and subscription) was up 1.6%YoY on a continuing foreign money foundation to $825 million (see beneath).
The corporate mentioned in its submitting on Thursday that “streaming income was impacted by a difficult year-over-year comparability, largely in subscription streaming income, compounded by a lighter launch slate and market share loss in China”.
WMG additionally breaks that streaming determine down in its stability sheet to focus on the efficiency of its subscription streaming and advert–supported streaming revenues, respectively.
The corporate’s revenues from recorded music subscription streaming reached $622 million in calendar Q1, up 3.2% YoY at fixed foreign money.
WMG generated $203 million in ad-supported recorded music streaming revenues in calendar Q1, which was down 2.9% YoYat fixed foreign money.
WMG mentioned that “the lower in ad-supported income was pushed by a mushy general advert atmosphere”.
Elsewhere in Recorded Music, WMG’s Licensing income elevated 2.9% YoY at fixed foreign money to succeed in $105 million, pushed, in keeping with WMG, “by licensing offers primarily in Japan and the US, partially offset by the timing of copyright infringement settlements”.
Artist providers and expanded-rights income reached $117 million, down 5.6% YoY at fixed foreign money due, in keeping with WMG, “to decrease live performance promotion income primarily in France, decrease direct-to-consumer merchandising income at EMP, and a lower in income associated to winding down the Firm’s owned and operated media properties within the prior-year quarter”.
Bodily income elevated 1.8% YoY at fixed foreign money to succeed in $112 million, pushed, WMG mentioned, “by new releases within the quarter, primarily within the US and Japan, partially offset by the affect of the BMG Termination“.
WMG’s high bodily sellers within the quarter included Mac Miller’s Balloonerism and new releases from ONEOKROCK and TWICE.
Music Publishing
Warner’s world music publishing division – Warner Chappell Music – noticed its quarterly revenues improve by 3% YoY at fixed foreign money to $310 million.
WMG reported that the rise was pushed by development throughout digital, efficiency, synchronization and mechanical income.
Music publishing streaming income elevated 1.6% YoYat fixed foreign money to $185 million, pushed, WMG mentioned, “by the affect of digital deal renewals primarily within the US”.
Efficiency income elevated 6% YoY at fixed foreign money to $53 million, attributable, per WMG’s earnings report, “to development from live shows, radio and stay occasions primarily exterior of the US”.
Synchronization income elevated 2.1% YoYat fixed foreign money to $49 million, attributable to “increased tv and business licensing exercise and the affect of acquisitions, partially offset by the timing of copyright infringement settlements,” WMG mentioned on Thursday.
Mechanical income elevated14.3% YoY at fixed foreign money to $16 million, pushed by “increased bodily gross sales” within the quarter.
WARNER’S CALENDAR Q1 2025 IN SUMMARY (% IN CONSTANT CURRENCY):
Warner Music Group’s general revenues have been up 1.2% YoY at fixed foreign money to $1.484 billion in calendar Q1;
Recorded music revenues have been up 0.7% YoYon a continuing foreign money foundation to $1.175 billion;
Inside that determine, recorded music streaming revenues have been up 1.6% YoY at fixed foreign money to $825 million;
Recorded music subscriptionstreaming revenues have been up 3.2%YoY on a continuing foreign money foundation to $622 million.
Music publishing revenues – at Warner Chappell Music – have been up 3% YoY at fixed foreign money to $310 million.
WMG: PROFITABILITY IN CALENDAR Q1 2025
WMG’s web revenue stood at $36 million versus $96 million within the prior-year quarter.
Working revenue stood at $168 million versus $119 million within the prior-year quarter (up 47.4% YoY at fixed foreign money)
The agency’s quarterly adjusted OIBDA was $303 million versus $312 million within the prior-year quarter, down 1% YoY at fixed foreign money.
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