Universal Publishing Music Group just turned over a billion dollars within a calendar year for the first time.
The company, led by CEO & Chairman Jody Gerson, saw annual revenues rise 14.5% at constant currency in 2018, hitting €941m.
That Euro figure was revealed by Universal’s French owner, Vivendi, earlier today.
When translated into US dollars at the prevailing annual rate of 2018 (1.187), UMPG’s yearly revenues ended up at $1.12bn.
That means Gerson’s company contributed approximately 15.6% of Universal Music Group‘s total record-setting 2018 revenues – across records, publishing, merch and more – of €6.023bn ($7.15bn).
The constant-currency percentage rise of UMPG (+14.5%) was bigger than that seen by Universal’s recorded music operation (+9.8%) and of the entirety of UMG (+10.0%) in the year.
UMPG’s rise was credited to increased subscription/streaming revenues, as well as bigger revenues coming from performance rights and sync.
Above, you can see the Euro-denominated annual revenues of UMPG in recent years as per Vivendi.
And below, MBW has calculated the more recent yearly sales figures in US dollars – based on the prevailing exchange rate in each year.
We’ve started in 2015, because it was on January 1 that year Gerson made history as the first female Chairman & CEO of a multi-national major music company.
In 2015, UMPG turned over $840m.
Three years on, in 2018, Gerson has led the company to generate $277m more.
UMPG’s standout signings include the likes of Billie Eilish, Adele, J.Cole, Post Malone (pictured with Gerson) and Nicki Minaj.
The company recently inked a worldwide publishing deal with Elton John as part of a wider agreement across the Universal Music Group.Music Business Worldwide
