Universal Music Annual Revenue Crosses $12B After Strong Q4 for Recorded Music

Universal Music Group’s revenue reached 3.21 billion euros ($3.45 billion) in the final period of 2023, up 9% year-over-year (up 15.6% in constant currency) as the company’s non-subscription streaming growth slowed again and its record labels got a boost from strong physical sales and licensing.

Spotify’s price increase helped drive the recorded music division’s subscription revenue up 8.9% (up 15% at constant currency, which removes the effects of foreign exchange rates) to 1.14 billion euros ($1.22 billion). As a percent of recorded music revenue, subscription revenue increased to 47% from 46.7% in the prior-year quarter.

Non-subscription streaming revenue declined 1.3% as reported (increased 5.6% at constant currency) in the quarter, however. That followed a 1.4% decline (a 5% gain at constant currency) in ad-supported streaming revenue in the third quarter. Ad-supported streaming “remains strong” but the ad market recovery “has not been uniform” and UMG is “cautious” about near-term growth, CFO Boyd Muir said during Wednesday’s earnings call. The soft streaming revenue was not affected by UMG’s decision in early February to pull its catalog from TikTok, which accounts for 1% of UMG’s annual revenue. 

Sales were strong elsewhere in the recorded music division, though. Physical revenue of 447 million euros ($481 million) was up 10.6% (up 17.0% at constant currency). Licensing and other revenue of 410 million euros ($441 million) was up 26.5% (up 34.0% at constant currency). Downloads and other digital revenue declined by 49.2% (45.8% at constant currency), but at 32 million euros ($34) accounted for just 1.3% of recorded music revenue in the quarter. 

Universal Music Publishing Group’s fourth-quarter revenue of 576 million euros ($620 million) was up 8.7% (up 15.4% at constant currency). Digital revenue of 339 million euros ($365 million) was up 26.0% (36.1% at constant currency). Sync revenue of 70 million euros ($75 million) was up 18.6% (up 25.0% at constant currency). Mechanical revenue of 31 million euros ($33 million) was up 24.0% (up 29.2%). Performance revenue fell 19.1% (15.8%) to 123 million euros ($132 million). 

Top sellers in the quarter were Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Drake, Jung Kook and Stray Kids.

For the full year, UMG’s revenue of 11.1 billion euros ($12 billion at the average exchange rate for the year), up 7.4% as reported and a 11.1% increase at constant currency that removes the effects of foreign exchange rates. That’s similar to the 13.6% revenue growth at constant currency reported in 2022, but well below the as-reported growth of 21.6% that includes foreign currency exchange. 

Adjusted EBITDA of 2.37 billion euros ($2.6 billion) was up 11% (up 14.6% at constant currency). Unadjusted EBITDA of 1.81 billion euros ($2 billion) was down 10.8% (down 7.8% at constant currency.) Unadjusted EBITDA eliminates the effects of the Copyright Royalty Board’s Phonorecords III ruling and a 15-million euro ($16 million) legal provision. 

In the recorded music division, full-year revenue of 5.7 billion euros ($6.2 billion) was up 6.6% (up 10.2% at constant currency) and physical revenue of 1.38 billion euros ($1.49 billion) was up 14.3% (up 19.4% at constant currency). Licensing revenue of 1.17 billion euros ($1.27 billion) was up 9.5% (up 13.6% at constant currency). 

Full-year publishing revenue of 1.96 billion euros ($2.12 billion) was up 8.7% (up 12.3% at constant currency). Digital revenue of 1.13 billion euros ($1.22 billion) was up 8.5% (up 12.5% at constant currency). Mechanical revenue of 108 million euros ($117 million) was up 11.3% (up 14.9% at constant currency). Performance revenue of 416 million euros ($450 million) was up 12.1% (up 15.9% at constant currency). 

At constant currency, UMG’s fourth quarter improvement was similar to the other two major music groups. Warner Music Group was up 17.5% to $1.75 billion and Sony Music was up 16% to 358.2 billion yen ($2.5 billion). Smaller companies have also posted similar growth rates.