What Each Music Firm Made in Q2 2026 (Updating)

Paris-based streamer Deezer reported on Tuesday (July 28) that income and adjusted gross revenue rose by virtually half a p.c within the first half of the yr for one more quarter of web profitability, as new subscribers in France and elsewhere offset a drag in subscribers from its enterprise partnerships.

Deezer has come to be recognized for actively monitoring and reporting the variety of AI tracks uploaded to its web site and eradicating sure AI tracks, and advocacy for transparency round AI-generated music has earned it some followers. Deezer mentioned earlier this yr that new subscribers cited its AI-related actions as amongst their causes for signing up. That helped the French streamer add practically half one million direct subscribers in France and different markets, for a complete of 8.9 million subscribers within the first half of 2026.

Whereas Deezer misplaced 300,000 subscribers from its enterprise partnership funnel — subscribers who signal as much as the service by means of telecom service suppliers like Orange or TIM — the corporate earns extra from direct subscribers, which is contributing to its steady, worthwhile outlook, Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier mentioned.

BTS proved to be dynamite as soon as once more for HYBE, main the music firm behind the septet supergroup to a virtually $1 billion quarter. HYBE reported on Tuesday (July 30) that income from BTS’ world tour and gross sales of its ARIRANG album — its first since its members took a break for navy service — helped drive record-high quarterly income of 1.45 trillion Korean received ($987 million) and working revenue of 170.9 billion Korean received ($116 million).

Income from recorded music gross sales, concert events, ads and appearances was the driving think about that end result, producing 1.04 trillion received ($708 million) within the second quarter ending June 30 — a 132% improve from the year-ago quarter. Launched on March 20, ARIRANG debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for 3 consecutive weeks; it additionally not too long ago returned to the highest 10 on the chart following the discharge of a vinyl variant with bonus tracks. BTS additionally had the highest-grossing and best-selling tour in Might — beating The Rolling Stones‘ file — grossing $127.8 million and promoting 641,000 tickets over 12 exhibits between Might 2 and Might 28. 

iHeartMedia, the biggest U.S. radio and podcast distribution firm, mentioned on Monday (Aug. 10) that income for its second quarter got here in forward of steering, rising by 4.7% to $977 million, as political main adverts and people for the November midterm elections proceed to ramp up.

Adjusted earnings earlier than curiosity, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell 2.9% to $152 million, down from $156 million in the identical interval final yr. iHeart’s executives mentioned they anticipate sturdy spending within the second half of the yr from political and different advertisers who are usually not capable of safe TV spots as political placements fill the airwaves.

Nonetheless, since no single advertiser contributes higher than 2% of iHeart’s general advert income and no business section contributes greater than a 5% share, iHeart executives hope the corporate will probably be insulated from macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.

Money offered by working actions generated $65 million, whereas free money movement — what’s left over after operational spending and capital bills are lined — was $46 million, in comparison with a lack of $13 million final yr.

Despite FIFA’s monopolization of North American stadiums this summer season for the 2026 World Cup, Stay Nation nonetheless managed to eke out 9% income progress within the second quarter. The dwell leisure and ticketing big reported $7.7 billion in income on Thursday (July 30) and a 7% improve in working earnings to $522 million.

Elsewhere, adjusted working earnings (AOI) rose 2% to $817 million general, however inside the concert events division particularly, AOI fell 14% to $310 million on fewer obtainable stadiums for exhibits throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup host international locations of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Video games had been held principally in June and July, however the venues had been booked up starting in Might, Stay Nation mentioned. Live performance income nonetheless rose 8% to $6.4 billion, with a powerful portion of the ten% improve in fan attendance coming from international locations outdoors the U.S.

Reservoir Media reported its income rose 12% to $41.48 million pushed by a 35% surge in recorded music to $14.10 million for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The corporate will get the majority of its income from music publishing, which it reported grew by 6% within the quarter to generate $26.51 million in income in comparison with a yr in the past, due to streaming enlargement and catalog acquisitions. Digital income, which contributes 61% of complete gross sales, grew by 13%.

Whereas working earnings was practically $5.4 million, the corporate posted a web lack of $508,386, as a result of practically $7 million extra in curiosity bills and overseas trade fluctuations within the quarter. Adjusted earnings earlier than curiosity, taxes, depreciation and amortization elevated 13% to $15.70 million.

Reservoir mentioned its catalog investments and acquisitions totaled practically $20 million, following strategic expansions in Latin music just like the acquisition of impartial label Nacional Information and the publishing belongings of its sister firm, Canciones Nacionales.

The corporate additionally mentioned an impartial board committee continues to guage unsolicited acquisition proposals from shareholder teams. In March, Reservoir disclosed that traders Richmond Hill Funding and Wesbild had made an unsolicited joint supply to accumulate all excellent shares at a value of $10.50 per share following an earlier unsolicited bid from one other shareholder, Irenic Capital Administration, to accumulate all of Reservoir’s excellent shares at a value of between $10.00 and $11.00 per share in money.

SiriusXM Holdings added 22,000 web new direct subscribers within the second quarter, its first second-quarter improve in web self-pay subscribers in 4 years, the corporate reported on Thursday (July 30). Sirius has struggled with a small and regular decline in subscribers to its in-vehicle satellite tv for pc radio, Pandora, podcasting and streaming companies, regardless of nonetheless having a strong 30 million-plus subscribers. That win helped income grind 1% increased to $2.16 billion, whereas adjusted earnings earlier than curiosity, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 3% to $691 million. SiriusXM’s web revenue for the quarter rose 17% to $239 million, in keeping with firm financials.

The corporate has been on a journey to determine what works, and the present technique of providing lower-cost companion plans and premium content material like channels run by Morgan Wallen and Inexperienced Day is working effectively sufficient that the corporate raised its full-year 2026 targets.

SM Leisure reported second quarter income rose general by 15.4% in Korean received to 349.6 billion ($232.83 million), pushed by progress within the live performance and licensing companies. The dad or mum division of SM Leisure, which incorporates most of its music enterprise, reported income elevated by 9.2% to 240.6 billion received ($160.24 million) as a result of SUPER JUNIOR and TVXQ! including exhibits to their anniversary excursions, alongside extra dates for excursions by aespa, NCT WISH and EXO. Bodily album gross sales slowed by 8.2% to 90.9 billion received ($60.54 million), however that was offset by a virtually 30% improve in income from artists’ appearances on TV, in ads and at occasions. The latter generated 29.7 billion received ($19.78 million).

Working revenue grew by 11% to 52.9 billion received ($35.23 million), however web earnings fell 5.6% to 29.2 billion received ($19.45 million) on a 52% improve in earnings tax from the yr in the past quarter.

Sony Music reported on Friday (July 31) large, broad-based progress within the second quarter from recorded music. Streaming income jumped 21% to 237.1 billion yen ($1.49 billion); bodily gross sales, digital downloads, dwell and merch income surged 36% to 143.9 billion yen ($903.3 million); and publishing income got here in 17.5% increased at 116 billion yen ($728.2 million) in comparison with the year-ago quarter.

Altogether, these outcomes drove working earnings up 14% to 105.9 billion yen ($664.78 million), whereas adjusted working earnings earlier than depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) was up practically 15% to 134 billion yen ($841 million). With upcoming releases anticipated from Becky G, Future and Corey Kent, Sony raised its monetary outlook for gross sales and working earnings by 2% and 5%, respectively. The corporate mentioned it now expects to generate practically 2.2 trillion yen ($13.5 billion) in general gross sales and 420 billion yen ($2.6 billion) in working earnings.

Sphere Leisure Co., which is beginning to look extra like the last word movie show first and state-of-the-art live performance venue second, reported Thursday (July 30) that second-quarter income rose 11% to $313.6 million, primarily from ticket gross sales for The Wizard of Oz at Sphere. Sphere CEO and chairman James Dolan mentioned the movie, and, he hopes, the upcoming Sphere Expertise model of The Rocky Horror Image Present at Sphere, have innovated on the enterprise mannequin of his different iconic venue, Madison Sq. Backyard — specifically, by being a venue that each artist needs to play, but in addition a venue whose incomes potential could be maximized with two film screenings virtually each day there isn’t a live performance.

Spotify reported including 1 million extra new premium subscribers within the second quarter than anticipated, which helped offset a slight miss on its steering for complete month-to-month consumer progress and helped meet income progress targets amid overseas trade challenges. The corporate’s 777 million month-to-month common customers generated 14% income progress of 4.777 million euros ($5.546 billion), in keeping with earlier steering. Spotify additionally beat steering on gross margin, which expanded by 193 foundation factors to 33.4%, and on working earnings, which totaled 655 million euros ($748 million). On a name with analysts, co-CEOs Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström mentioned new merchandise just like the ticket reservation, AI playlisting and remixing instruments confirmed sturdy momentum, whereas investments in AI and advertising and marketing had been “completely in our management.” Working bills rose 3% to 941 million euros ($1.08 billion) on investments in AI/cloud companies and advertising and marketing.

For the six-month interval ended June 30, Common Music Group (UMG) income grew to six.194 billion euros ($7.195 billion), up 5.3% (10.8% on a continuing forex foundation) from the prior yr’s first half, when the corporate generated 5.881 billion euros ($6.694 billion). Whereas UMG benefited from the addition of its acquisition of Downtown within the first half of the yr to the tune of 234 million euros ($272 million), its income was however up by 1.34% within the second half of 2026 versus the primary half of 2025, and 5.7% on a continuing forex foundation.

Internet income declined to $223 million euros within the first half of 2026 versus 1.425 billion euros within the corresponding year-earlier interval. That resulted in a 12-cent euro ($0.14) per diluted share within the first half of 2026 versus a 78-cent euro ($0.88) per diluted share within the corresponding 2025 interval.

On Monday (Aug. 3), Warner Music Group (WMG) reported that double-digit subscription streaming progress helped drive income up 10% to $1.9 billion for the quarter. That was due to digital income rising general by greater than 11% to $1.25 billion, and recorded music streaming income particularly rising by 12% to simply over $1 billion. Breaking down the 12% improve, Louis Dickler, WMG’s chief accounting officer who was named performing CFO final week, mentioned that 6% to 7% got here from subscription streaming earnings, 3.5% got here from improved licensing offers with digital streaming companions and 1% got here from expanded international market share.

“There’s a technique right here that was set in movement, and it’s delivering outcomes,” CEO Robert Kyncl mentioned on a name Wednesday (Aug. 5) discussing the corporate’s fiscal third quarter outcomes. WMG launched a part of its quarterly earnings on the prime of the week, forward of the unique launch date of Thursday (Aug. 6), following a pair of bulletins on Friday (July 31) that CFO and COO Armin Zerza was stepping down and that Warner Information co-chairman and COO Tom Corson would succeed him as WMG’s COO.