Universal Music Group reported a 5.3% rise in first-half revenue to €6.194 billion ($7.2 billion), signalling continued growth across its music businesses despite a sharp fall in reported net profit. The result matters because it highlights resilient underlying demand and the contribution of acquisitions, while showing how exceptional costs and a difficult comparison with last year can weigh on headline earnings.

Net profit fell to €223 million from €1.425 billion a year earlier, affected by Downtown acquisition integration costs, higher legal and financial expenses, and a prior-year high-margin settlement. Second-quarter revenue rose 10.5% to €3.294 billion, while recorded music revenue increased 6.8% and music publishing rose 3.8% in the half; UMG also pointed to growth opportunities in China, India, AI and paying “superfans”.