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NEAR TRUTHS:
SAFE KEEPING

IS IT BULLETPROOF? That’s been the question bandied about with respect to the recorded-music business over the past few years. This sector of the biz flourished—and, in fact, grew—amid the very pandemic that kneecapped the live business; it withstood inflation and supply-chain issues as well, having transitioned, over­whelmingly, to a distribution platform that does not require press­ing plants or trucks, shipping containers or shelf space. For now, the recorded business appears bulletproof… virtually.

IT’S SHOWTIME: With Sir Lucian Grainge’s UMG now enjoying a market cap of nearly $40b, double-digit Q1 growth across all segments and revenues up more than 20% year-over-year, the Big 3 continue to make the elite class of artists extremely rich, with deals in the hundreds of millions for those catalogs that are having huge streaming success now and are locked in for the projectable future—making these massive deals relatively risk-free.

Sony Music closed out fiscal 2021 on 3/31 with operating income up after a massive 29% spike in revenue fueled by significant boosts in streaming (+37%) and music publishing (+28%). For fiscal 2022, the forecast from Tokyo is for double-digit growth in music. WMG posted double-digit revenue growth in Q1 2022. Recorded-music revenue was up 8%, with digital accounting for more than two-thirds of revenue for the quarter. Publishing and artists-services revenue were both up nearly 20% as COVID offered fewer disruptions.

NEAR TRUTHS: SPRING BLOOMS
Here come the big guns. (3/28a)
THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
CITY OF HOPE TAPS MARCIANO FOR TOP HONOR
This year's philanthropic model (3/28a)
TRUST IN THE TOP 20
Hip-hop is no longer hibernating. (3/28a)
UMG BROADENS SPOTIFY OFFERINGS
Sir Lucian and Daniel are in harmony. (3/28a)
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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