From Sony’s $2.5bn spent in the past year to UMG’s Patrick Whitesell JV… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-Up

Welcome to Music Business Worldwide’s weekly round-up – where we make sure you caught the five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days. MBW’s round-up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximize their income and reduce their touring costs.

This morning (June 13), Rob Stringer, Chairman of Sony Music Group and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, updated investors on the music company’s performance and strategy.

Also this week, Universal Music Group launched a joint venture with WTSL, the Silver Lake-backed investment firm founded by Hollywood agent and WME co-founder Patrick Whitesell.

Meanwhile, we learned that legendary UK independent music company Cooking Vinyl will be acquired by US-headquartered Exceleration Music.

Elsewhere, on Wednesday (June 11) The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) said that Spotify‘s ‘bundling’ move could cost music publishers $3.1 billion through 2032.

Finally, Harbourview Equity Partners secured $500 million in debt refinancing, led by investment giant KKR.

Here’s what happened this week…

1) SONY MUSIC SPENT $2.5BN ON 60+ DEALS IN THE PAST YEAR (AND 7 MORE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW FROM ROB STRINGER’S LATEST INVESTOR PRESENTATION)

Rob Stringer, the Chairman of Sony Music Group and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, updated investors on the music company’s performance and strategy on Friday morning (June 13).

Delivered as part of Sony Group’s 2025 Business Segment Presentation for investors, Stringer covered Sony’s financial performance, catalog deals, distribution strategy, AI opportunities, music streaming subscription prices, and more. He also took part in a fireside chat with Justin Hill, Senior Vice President, Finance & Investor Relations, Sony Corporation of America.

During the presentation, Stringer revealed Sony “completed more than 60 investments in the past year alone” and spent “over $2.5 billion for frontline, catalog, as well as creative and service ventures with outside entrepreneurs across a vast number of territories.”

Stringer discussed Sony’s strategy in greater detail during the presentation and Q&A. Here are seven more things you should know…

2) Universal Music and Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell launch joint venture with backing from Silver Lake

Universal Music Group has formed a joint venture with WTSL, the Silver Lake-backed investment firm founded by prominent Hollywood agent and WME co-founder, Patrick Whitesell.

According to the official announcement, the venture’s goal is to “accelerate commercial opportunities for UMG’s artists and artist estates in rapidly growing areas outside traditional recorded music and music publishing”.

The press release added that the JV will pursue opportunities that “extend music’s value across film, television, fashion, consumer products, branded experiences, and other emerging growth areas.”

3) Cooking Vinyl, a prominent UK-headquartered music company, to be acquired by Exceleration Music

Exceleration Music has entered into an agreement to acquire iconic UK-headquartered independent music company Cooking Vinyl, which it describes as “one of the UK’s most successful and long-standing music companies”.

Founded in 1986, Cooking Vinyl is home to a roster of artists that includes Shed Seven, Suzanne Vega, Passenger, The Prodigy, The Cranberries, Billy Bragg, The Darkness, Deacon Blue, 47 Soul, Roger Waters and The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Exceleration said on Monday (June 9) that Cooking Vinyl will continue to operate independently, led by Managing Director Rob Collins and his team.

4) NMPA says Spotify ‘bundling’ move could cost music publishers $3.1bn through 2032

The National Music Publishers’ Association projects that music publishers will “lose over $3.1 billion” through 2032 due to Spotify‘s audiobook “bundling practices”.

That’s according to Executive Vice President and General Counsel Danielle Aguirre, who, speaking at the NMPA’s 2025 Annual Meeting in New York on Wednesday (June 11), detailed how Spotify‘s decision to reclassify its premium music service as a bundled offering in March 2024 has, “by Spotify’s own numbers” resulted in a $230 million loss for publishers during its first year of implementation.

Aguirre added that “these losses will continue if we can’t reverse or correct Spotify’s actions. In fact, if we don’t stop them, we are projected to lose over $3.1 billion through the next CRB period,” which will be Phonorecords V, which determines mechanical royalty rates for 2028 through 2032.

5) HarbourView secures $500m in additional debt financing from KKR

HarbourView Equity Partners has secured $500 million in additional debt financing from investment giant KKR, secured via a private securitization backed by its music portfolio.

This latest transaction follows a previous $500 million in debt financing secured by HarbourView in March 2024, through a private securitization backed by its catalog of music royalties, and led by KKR.

Citing an interview with HarbourView Founder and CEO Sherrese Clarke on Monday (June 9), Bloomberg reported that the company plans to use the new financing “to scale up, to add to its portfolio of music content and to push deeper into film and TV-rights management”.

MBW’s Weekly Round-Up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their income and reduce their touring costs.Music Business Worldwide