![\"music](\"https:\/\/www.digitalmusicnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ateez-1024x546.jpg\" "\\"music\\"")
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A live performance from Ateez, one of Sony Music\u2019s top-selling acts of Q1 2026. Photo Credit: pinkllamanade<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Music Following Warner Music Group\u2019s seemingly solid calendar Q1 2026 earnings<\/a>, Sony Music Group has posted respectable first-quarter financials of its own \u2013 including the highest quarterly revenue from vinyl and other physical formats since 2017. <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe overarching Sony Group Corp. shed light on Sony Music\u2019s performance across January, February, and March 2026, or the fiscal fourth quarter. As usual, the Tokyo-headquartered conglomerate reported the results in yen; the below figures reflect the yen-dollar exchange rate at the time of writing.<\/p>\n
Also as usual, \u201cvisual media and platform\u201d revenue made its way into the music-division breakdown. Consisting of mobile apps and more \u2013 the latter including blockbuster anime films such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle <\/em>\u2013 visual media and platform is best omitted to paint a clearer picture of actual recorded, publishing, live, and merch revenue.<\/p>\nAll told, Sony Music generated \u00a5475.49 billion (currently $3.03 billion) during calendar Q1 2026, up roughly 22.7% from $2.47 billion\/\u00a5387.46 billion in the identical 2025 stretch. <\/strong><\/h4>\nAcross-the-board recorded music streaming revenue, from on-demand and non-interactive platforms alike, hit $1.44 billion\/\u00a5225.28 billion (up 16.7% YoY) en route to accounting for about 47.4% of the newer sum.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, permanent downloads\u2019 long-running descent continued; also including ringtones, the category kicked in a relatively modest $38.94 million\/\u00a56.10 billion (down approximately 18% YoY) to Q1 2026\u2019s overall recorded revenue.<\/p>\n
Rounding out the recorded side, Sony Music identified near-record streaming-era revenue (regardless of quarter) of $241.73 million\/\u00a537.87 billion (up 41% YoY) for vinyl, CDs, and cassettes during Q1. (Technically, Pink\u2019s Beautiful Trauma<\/em> ticket-CD combo powered physical revenue of $278.71 million\/\u00a543.66 billion way back in Q4 2017.)<\/p>\nAnd the decidedly all-encompassing \u201cother\u201d category \u2013 housing public performance, sync, live, merch, and more \u2013 hiked 55.1% YoY to $631.92 million\/\u00a599.02 billion.<\/p>\n
For the full fiscal year, core music revenue (excluding visual media and platform and accounting for recorded as well as publishing) reached $11.26 billion\/\u00a51.77 trillion (up 12% YoY). In recorded, full-year streaming revenue grew 8% YoY to $5.44 billion\/\u00a5852.67 billion, while \u201cother\u201d climbed 23.1% YoY to $2.15 billion\/\u00a5336.42 billion.<\/p>\n
Shifting to publishing, Sony Music Publishing brought in $684.30 million\/<\/strong>\u00a5107.22 billion on the quarter, up 11.4% YoY. <\/strong><\/h4>\nTherein, streaming revenue improved by 13.7% YoY to $402.54 million\/\u00a563.07 billion, with non-streaming publishing having achieved a comparatively modest 8.1% YoY uptick to $281.74 million\/\u00a544.15 billion. And for the entire fiscal year, publishing revenue increased by 10.6% YoY to $2.68 billion\/\u00a5419.86 billion.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Sony Music Publishing\u2019s owned and administered catalog, the size of which is updated once per year in earnings reports, contained 5.45 million works as of March 31st. Though large, the figure slipped substantially from 2025\u2019s 6.63 million works.<\/p>\n
Did a bad count or a JV-prompted calculation change drive the drop? Or, more interestingly, is the decrease connected to a forthcoming announcement of some kind? We don\u2019t have a concrete answer at present, but the falloff is worth keeping in mind \u2013 especially amid other Sony Music-related catalog rumblings<\/a>.<\/p>\nBy overall recorded revenue, the quarter\u2019s top projects were Bad Bunny\u2019s DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS<\/em>; Harry Styles\u2019 Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.<\/em>; Ateez\u2019s Golden Hour: Part.4<\/em>; Bad Bunny\u2019s Un Verano Sin Ti<\/em>; and Blackpink\u2019s Deadline<\/em>, respectively.<\/p>\nFor the entire 12-month window, Bad Bunny once again secured the uppermost spot, followed by SZA\u2019s SOS<\/em>; Tate McRae\u2019s So Close to What<\/em>; Styles and his above-noted effort; and then Bad Bunny\u2019s Un Verano Sin Ti<\/em>, respectively.<\/p>\nRegarding profitability and Sony Music\u2019s outlook for the current fiscal year, Q1 music-division operating income rose 58.4% YoY to $844.92 million\/<\/strong>\u00a5132.39 billion. <\/strong><\/h4>\nHowever, Sony Group only provides a one-and-done number here, reflecting music operations as well as visual media and platform, which accounted for \u201cslightly less than 30%\u201d of the quarterly profit.<\/p>\n
(For a bit more context, it\u2019d be best to let Sony Group take the wheel for a moment. Per the report: \u201cThe operating income of Visual Media & Platform should include certain profit from Sony Music Entertainment in the U.S., however, as the amount of such profit is de-minimis, the profit contributions from Visual Media & Platform in Music segment above are calculated based only on the profit from Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc.\u201d)<\/p>\n
As for what the coming year or so may bring, execs forecasted \u201cessentially flat\u201d music sales totaling $13.66 billion\/<\/strong>\u00a52.14 trillion, including decreased live\/merch revenue and, amid continued price bumps, ongoing streaming growth. <\/strong><\/h4>\nBut this is a music-unit-wide sum and therefore extends to visual media and platform, which is expected to dip due to the timing of film releases.<\/p>\n
Lastly, in AI, Sony Music is apparently focused on the development and implementation of its previously revealed detection tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cTo drive such efforts, Sony Music is actively pursuing an industry-wide standard to label AI content for further transparency with consumers,\u201d higher-ups reiterated during the earnings presentation.<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
All told, Sony Music generated \u00a5475.49 billion (currently $3.03 billion) during calendar Q1 2026, up roughly 22.7% from $2.47 billion\/\u00a5387.46 billion in the identical 2025 stretch. <\/strong><\/h4>\nAcross-the-board recorded music streaming revenue, from on-demand and non-interactive platforms alike, hit $1.44 billion\/\u00a5225.28 billion (up 16.7% YoY) en route to accounting for about 47.4% of the newer sum.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, permanent downloads\u2019 long-running descent continued; also including ringtones, the category kicked in a relatively modest $38.94 million\/\u00a56.10 billion (down approximately 18% YoY) to Q1 2026\u2019s overall recorded revenue.<\/p>\n
Rounding out the recorded side, Sony Music identified near-record streaming-era revenue (regardless of quarter) of $241.73 million\/\u00a537.87 billion (up 41% YoY) for vinyl, CDs, and cassettes during Q1. (Technically, Pink\u2019s Beautiful Trauma<\/em> ticket-CD combo powered physical revenue of $278.71 million\/\u00a543.66 billion way back in Q4 2017.)<\/p>\nAnd the decidedly all-encompassing \u201cother\u201d category \u2013 housing public performance, sync, live, merch, and more \u2013 hiked 55.1% YoY to $631.92 million\/\u00a599.02 billion.<\/p>\n
For the full fiscal year, core music revenue (excluding visual media and platform and accounting for recorded as well as publishing) reached $11.26 billion\/\u00a51.77 trillion (up 12% YoY). In recorded, full-year streaming revenue grew 8% YoY to $5.44 billion\/\u00a5852.67 billion, while \u201cother\u201d climbed 23.1% YoY to $2.15 billion\/\u00a5336.42 billion.<\/p>\n
Shifting to publishing, Sony Music Publishing brought in $684.30 million\/<\/strong>\u00a5107.22 billion on the quarter, up 11.4% YoY. <\/strong><\/h4>\nTherein, streaming revenue improved by 13.7% YoY to $402.54 million\/\u00a563.07 billion, with non-streaming publishing having achieved a comparatively modest 8.1% YoY uptick to $281.74 million\/\u00a544.15 billion. And for the entire fiscal year, publishing revenue increased by 10.6% YoY to $2.68 billion\/\u00a5419.86 billion.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Sony Music Publishing\u2019s owned and administered catalog, the size of which is updated once per year in earnings reports, contained 5.45 million works as of March 31st. Though large, the figure slipped substantially from 2025\u2019s 6.63 million works.<\/p>\n
Did a bad count or a JV-prompted calculation change drive the drop? Or, more interestingly, is the decrease connected to a forthcoming announcement of some kind? We don\u2019t have a concrete answer at present, but the falloff is worth keeping in mind \u2013 especially amid other Sony Music-related catalog rumblings<\/a>.<\/p>\nBy overall recorded revenue, the quarter\u2019s top projects were Bad Bunny\u2019s DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS<\/em>; Harry Styles\u2019 Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.<\/em>; Ateez\u2019s Golden Hour: Part.4<\/em>; Bad Bunny\u2019s Un Verano Sin Ti<\/em>; and Blackpink\u2019s Deadline<\/em>, respectively.<\/p>\nFor the entire 12-month window, Bad Bunny once again secured the uppermost spot, followed by SZA\u2019s SOS<\/em>; Tate McRae\u2019s So Close to What<\/em>; Styles and his above-noted effort; and then Bad Bunny\u2019s Un Verano Sin Ti<\/em>, respectively.<\/p>\nRegarding profitability and Sony Music\u2019s outlook for the current fiscal year, Q1 music-division operating income rose 58.4% YoY to $844.92 million\/<\/strong>\u00a5132.39 billion. <\/strong><\/h4>\nHowever, Sony Group only provides a one-and-done number here, reflecting music operations as well as visual media and platform, which accounted for \u201cslightly less than 30%\u201d of the quarterly profit.<\/p>\n
(For a bit more context, it\u2019d be best to let Sony Group take the wheel for a moment. Per the report: \u201cThe operating income of Visual Media & Platform should include certain profit from Sony Music Entertainment in the U.S., however, as the amount of such profit is de-minimis, the profit contributions from Visual Media & Platform in Music segment above are calculated based only on the profit from Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc.\u201d)<\/p>\n
As for what the coming year or so may bring, execs forecasted \u201cessentially flat\u201d music sales totaling $13.66 billion\/<\/strong>\u00a52.14 trillion, including decreased live\/merch revenue and, amid continued price bumps, ongoing streaming growth. <\/strong><\/h4>\nBut this is a music-unit-wide sum and therefore extends to visual media and platform, which is expected to dip due to the timing of film releases.<\/p>\n
Lastly, in AI, Sony Music is apparently focused on the development and implementation of its previously revealed detection tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cTo drive such efforts, Sony Music is actively pursuing an industry-wide standard to label AI content for further transparency with consumers,\u201d higher-ups reiterated during the earnings presentation.<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
And the decidedly all-encompassing \u201cother\u201d category \u2013 housing public performance, sync, live, merch, and more \u2013 hiked 55.1% YoY to $631.92 million\/\u00a599.02 billion.<\/p>\n
For the full fiscal year, core music revenue (excluding visual media and platform and accounting for recorded as well as publishing) reached $11.26 billion\/\u00a51.77 trillion (up 12% YoY). In recorded, full-year streaming revenue grew 8% YoY to $5.44 billion\/\u00a5852.67 billion, while \u201cother\u201d climbed 23.1% YoY to $2.15 billion\/\u00a5336.42 billion.<\/p>\n
Shifting to publishing, Sony Music Publishing brought in $684.30 million\/<\/strong>\u00a5107.22 billion on the quarter, up 11.4% YoY. <\/strong><\/h4>\nTherein, streaming revenue improved by 13.7% YoY to $402.54 million\/\u00a563.07 billion, with non-streaming publishing having achieved a comparatively modest 8.1% YoY uptick to $281.74 million\/\u00a544.15 billion. And for the entire fiscal year, publishing revenue increased by 10.6% YoY to $2.68 billion\/\u00a5419.86 billion.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Sony Music Publishing\u2019s owned and administered catalog, the size of which is updated once per year in earnings reports, contained 5.45 million works as of March 31st. Though large, the figure slipped substantially from 2025\u2019s 6.63 million works.<\/p>\n
Did a bad count or a JV-prompted calculation change drive the drop? Or, more interestingly, is the decrease connected to a forthcoming announcement of some kind? We don\u2019t have a concrete answer at present, but the falloff is worth keeping in mind \u2013 especially amid other Sony Music-related catalog rumblings<\/a>.<\/p>\nBy overall recorded revenue, the quarter\u2019s top projects were Bad Bunny\u2019s DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS<\/em>; Harry Styles\u2019 Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.<\/em>; Ateez\u2019s Golden Hour: Part.4<\/em>; Bad Bunny\u2019s Un Verano Sin Ti<\/em>; and Blackpink\u2019s Deadline<\/em>, respectively.<\/p>\nFor the entire 12-month window, Bad Bunny once again secured the uppermost spot, followed by SZA\u2019s SOS<\/em>; Tate McRae\u2019s So Close to What<\/em>; Styles and his above-noted effort; and then Bad Bunny\u2019s Un Verano Sin Ti<\/em>, respectively.<\/p>\nRegarding profitability and Sony Music\u2019s outlook for the current fiscal year, Q1 music-division operating income rose 58.4% YoY to $844.92 million\/<\/strong>\u00a5132.39 billion. <\/strong><\/h4>\nHowever, Sony Group only provides a one-and-done number here, reflecting music operations as well as visual media and platform, which accounted for \u201cslightly less than 30%\u201d of the quarterly profit.<\/p>\n
(For a bit more context, it\u2019d be best to let Sony Group take the wheel for a moment. Per the report: \u201cThe operating income of Visual Media & Platform should include certain profit from Sony Music Entertainment in the U.S., however, as the amount of such profit is de-minimis, the profit contributions from Visual Media & Platform in Music segment above are calculated based only on the profit from Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc.\u201d)<\/p>\n
As for what the coming year or so may bring, execs forecasted \u201cessentially flat\u201d music sales totaling $13.66 billion\/<\/strong>\u00a52.14 trillion, including decreased live\/merch revenue and, amid continued price bumps, ongoing streaming growth. <\/strong><\/h4>\nBut this is a music-unit-wide sum and therefore extends to visual media and platform, which is expected to dip due to the timing of film releases.<\/p>\n
Lastly, in AI, Sony Music is apparently focused on the development and implementation of its previously revealed detection tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cTo drive such efforts, Sony Music is actively pursuing an industry-wide standard to label AI content for further transparency with consumers,\u201d higher-ups reiterated during the earnings presentation.<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
By overall recorded revenue, the quarter\u2019s top projects were Bad Bunny\u2019s DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS<\/em>; Harry Styles\u2019 Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.<\/em>; Ateez\u2019s Golden Hour: Part.4<\/em>; Bad Bunny\u2019s Un Verano Sin Ti<\/em>; and Blackpink\u2019s Deadline<\/em>, respectively.<\/p>\n For the entire 12-month window, Bad Bunny once again secured the uppermost spot, followed by SZA\u2019s SOS<\/em>; Tate McRae\u2019s So Close to What<\/em>; Styles and his above-noted effort; and then Bad Bunny\u2019s Un Verano Sin Ti<\/em>, respectively.<\/p>\n However, Sony Group only provides a one-and-done number here, reflecting music operations as well as visual media and platform, which accounted for \u201cslightly less than 30%\u201d of the quarterly profit.<\/p>\n (For a bit more context, it\u2019d be best to let Sony Group take the wheel for a moment. Per the report: \u201cThe operating income of Visual Media & Platform should include certain profit from Sony Music Entertainment in the U.S., however, as the amount of such profit is de-minimis, the profit contributions from Visual Media & Platform in Music segment above are calculated based only on the profit from Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc.\u201d)<\/p>\n But this is a music-unit-wide sum and therefore extends to visual media and platform, which is expected to dip due to the timing of film releases.<\/p>\n Lastly, in AI, Sony Music is apparently focused on the development and implementation of its previously revealed detection tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cTo drive such efforts, Sony Music is actively pursuing an industry-wide standard to label AI content for further transparency with consumers,\u201d higher-ups reiterated during the earnings presentation.<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\nRegarding profitability and Sony Music\u2019s outlook for the current fiscal year, Q1 music-division operating income rose 58.4% YoY to $844.92 million\/<\/strong>\u00a5132.39 billion. <\/strong><\/h4>\n
As for what the coming year or so may bring, execs forecasted \u201cessentially flat\u201d music sales totaling $13.66 billion\/<\/strong>\u00a52.14 trillion, including decreased live\/merch revenue and, amid continued price bumps, ongoing streaming growth. <\/strong><\/h4>\n