Sony’s Global Music Biz Revenue Tops $3.53 Billion on 36% Surge in Vinyl, Live, Merch Sales

Growth in streaming and live events revenue from Sony Music Group’s top-selling artists, like Michael Jackson, Ella Langley and Bad Bunny, drove a 20% surge in overall revenue to 562 billion yen ($3.53 billion), prompting an increase in the company’s full-year fiscal year targets on Friday (July 31).

That year-over-year increase made Sony’s global music business, which includes the U.S.-based Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, its second-highest revenue-generating division overall in terms of sales, after Games & Network Services.

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Japan-based Sony Group Corporation records financials in yen, which Billboard converted to U.S. dollars based on the average conversion rate Sony provided for the three months ending June 30. The year-over-year percentage increases refer to the increase on a yen basis, except where stated otherwise.

Sony Music’s operating income rose by 14% to 105.9 billion yen ($664.78 million), with adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) up nearly 15% to 134 billion yen ($841 million) for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30 compared to the year-ago quarter. The company raised its financial outlook for sales and operating income by 2% and 5% respectively; the company said it now expects to generate nearly 2.2 trillion yen ($13.5 billion) in overall sales and 420 billion yen ($2.6 billion) in operating income.

In comparison, Universal Music Group reported this week that it generated revenue of 6.194 billion euros ($7.195 billion) for the first six months of the year, including 3.294 billion euros in the second quarter. Converted to euros, Sony’s music segment generated 3.03 billion euros in revenue during the same three months.

Recorded Music streaming revenue rose 21% from a year ago to 237.1 billion yen ($1.49 billion). Other recorded music sales, which include physical media, digital downloads, live performances and merchandising, was up 36% to 143.9 billion yen ($903.3 million). In addition to strong growth in live events and merchandise revenue, within that number physical sales grew by 14% to 30 billion yen ($188.32 million).

Publishing sales rose by 17.5% to 116 billion yen ($728.2 million) compared to the year-ago quarter.

Revenue from the visual media and platform division, which includes animation, rose by 3.6% to 60.9 billion yen ($382.3 million).

On a U.S. dollar basis, streaming revenues for the quarter increased nearly 10% year-on-year in Recorded Music and increased 8% in Music Publishing.

In the filings, Sony said its music division completed the acquisition of an unnamed music rights company on July 15. In May, Billboard reported Sony Music Publishing was acquiring the music assets of Recognition Music Group, formerly Hipgnosis, from Blackstone.

Sony said it acquired about 550 billion yen ($3.4 billion) in music catalogs, which it paid for with around 260 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in cash, about 310 billion yen ($1.9 billion) of long-term debt and a cash contribution from a third-party worth around 65 billion yen (around $400 million) for a total transaction price of around $3.9 billion.

Top sellers for the quarter were led by Michael Jackson, Ella Langley, Bad Bunny (Rimas Entertainment), Raye, SZA and Peso Pluma and Tito Double P.