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# Universal Music Group Revenues Hit Record Highs and Yes, It’s Still For Sale
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/universal-music-group-revenues-hit-record-highs-and-yes-its-still-for-sale/
- Published: 2019-07-26T12:30:27.000Z
- Updated: 2019-07-26T12:30:27.000Z
- Description: Universal Music Group revenue rose 18.6% on a constant currency basis (or 24% an actual basis) in the first 6 months of 2019, with streaming revenue growing an even more. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2019/07/universal-music-group-revenues-hit-record-highs-and-yes-its-still-for-s
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Major Labels, Music Business, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 09:55

[![UMG square](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a4bedcc4200b-200wi "UMG square")](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a4bedcc4200b-popup?ref=hypebot.com)Universal Music Group revenue rose 18.6% on a constant currency basis (or 24% an actual basis) in the first 6 months of 2019, with streaming revenue growing an even more robust 25.5% using the same metric.Overall recorded music revenues hit a record high of $2.93 billion, up 16.9% on a constant currency basis. UMG parent Vivendi yesterday also reiterated plans to sell up to 50% of the music group by early 2020. [![Vivendi UMG](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a4bedc75200b-450wi "Vivendi UMG")](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a4bedc75200b-popup?ref=hypebot.com)**HIGHLIGHTS**
- **Universal Music Group’s (UMG) revenues amounted to €3,258 million, up 18.6% at constant currency** and perimeter compared to the first half of 2018 (+24.0% on an actual basis).
- **Recorded music revenues grew by 16.9%** at constant currency and perimeter thanks to the growth in subscription and **streaming revenues (+25.5%)** and strong physical sales in the first half of 2019 (+15.0%), which more than offset the **continued decline in download sales (-19.7%).**
- Recorded music **best sellers** for the half year of 2019 included new releases from **Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and the Japanese bands King & Prince** and back number, as well as continued sales of the soundtrack from ***A Star Is Born***and multiple albums from **Queen.**
- On the Spotify Global Chart, **UMG had eight of the top 10 songs for the first half of 2019,** including all of the top six, with Ariana Grande’s *7 Rings* at No. 1\. UMG also represented the No. 1 song for the entire 26 weeks of the first half of 2019.
- According to Nielsen’s Mid-Year 2019 Music Report, **in the U.S**., the world’s largest music market, **UMG had six of the top 10 artists, i**ncluding all of the top 5 (Ariana Grande, Drake, Billie Eilish, Post Malone and Queen); eight of the top 10 albums, including the Top 2 (Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish); and seven of the top 10 songs (based on digital consumption).
- In the **United Kingdom**, based on OCC (Official Charts Company) data, UMG had **six of the top 10 singles of the first half of 2019, i**ncluding Lewis Capaldi at No. 1, and six of the top 10 albums.
- **Music publishing revenues grew by 10.5%** at constant currency and perimeter compared to the first half of 2018, also driven by increased subscription and streaming revenues.
- **Merchandising and other revenues were up 82.3% at constant currency a**nd perimeter compared to the first half of 2018, thanks to increased touring activity and D2C (direct-to-consumer) revenues.
- Driven by revenue growth, UMG’s **EBITA amounted to €481 million, up 43.6% at constant currency** and perimeter compared to the first half of 2018 (+47.3% on an actual basis). In the first half of 2019, the EBITA margin increased by 240 points to 14.8%.

[![image from cdn.mbw.44bytes.net](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a470fa01200c-450wi "image from cdn.mbw.44bytes.net")](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a470fa01200c-popup?ref=hypebot.com)