On the Record · Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group acquisitions, on the record
The businesses Warner Music Group bought and sold, as its annual reports describe them, with the cash it reported paying for acquisitions each year and every deal filing since 2016.
Deals its annual reports describe
| Business | Deal | When | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
ColeskeWord for word“For example, we recently acquired one of South Africa’s leading independent music labels, Coleske, and music from this influential label’s recording artists and songwriters will join our repertoire and receive the support of our wide-ranging global expertise, including distribution and artist services.” 10-K for 2023 | agreed acquisition | — | — |
300 EntertainmentWord for word“The acquisition of 300 Entertainment in 2022 strengthened and diversified Elektra Music Group by adding a hip-hop focused label which led to the subsequent launch of 300 Elektra Entertainment, or 3EE, a frontline label group that brings together the multi-genre power of 300 Entertainment and Elektra.” 10-K for 2023 | acquisition | in 2022 | — |
Parlophone Label Group ("PLG")Word for word“The purchase of Parlophone Label Group (“PLG”) in 2013 strengthened the Company’s presence in core European territories, with recording artists as diverse as Coldplay, David Bowie, David Guetta and Iron Maiden.” 10-K for 2023 | acquisition | in 2013 | — |
SodatoneWord for word“In 2018, we acquired Sodatone, an advanced A&R tool that uses streaming, social and touring data to help track early predictors of success.” 10-K for 2023 | acquisition | In 2018 | — |
SongkickWord for word“Other milestones include the Company’s acquisitions of direct-to-audience businesses such as entertainment specialty e-tailer EMP Merchandising, live music application Songkick and youth culture platform UPROXX.” 10-K for 2023 | acquisition | — | — |
Spinnin’ RecordsWord for word“the acquisition of Spinnin’ Records in 2017 added one of the world’s leading independent electronic music companies” 10-K for 2024 | acquisition | in 2017 | — |
Tempo MusicWord for word“In February 2025, we acquired Tempo Music and the Company now holds approximately $311 million of asset-based securities due November 2050 (“Asset-Based Notes”) issued by a subsidiary of Tempo Music and secured only by certain music rights owned by Tempo Music and is nonrecourse to the Company and its subsidiaries, other than Tempo Music.” 10-K for 2025 | acquisition | In February 2025 | — |
| Fiscal year ended | Cash paid for acquisitions (net of cash acquired) | Cash received from selling businesses | Goodwill from acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-09-30 | $28 million | — | $13 million |
| 2017-09-30 | $139 million | — | $58 million |
| 2018-09-30 | $23 million | — | $12 million |
| 2019-09-30 | $231 million | — | $89 million |
| 2020-09-30 | $94 million | — | $47 million |
| 2021-09-30 | $64 million | $0 | — |
| 2022-09-30 | $509 million | $0 | $160 million |
| 2023-09-30 | $126 million | $45 million | $51 million |
| 2024-09-30 | $40 million | $19 million | $5 million |
| 2025-09-30 | $46 million | $0 | $24 million |
Deal filings since 2016
- 2026-09-25 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2026-03-11 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2026-02-05 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2025-07-01 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2024-09-17 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2024-01-24 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2023-12-01 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2023-06-30 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2023-05-10 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2023-03-23 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2021-12-17 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2021-11-24 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2021-08-16 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2021-03-08 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2021-03-01 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2021-01-20 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2020-11-02 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2020-08-12 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2020-06-30 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2020-04-03 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2019-04-30 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2018-10-10 Form 8-K, Item 2.01: Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets
- 2018-10-09 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2018-09-17 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2018-06-07 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2018-03-14 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2017-12-06 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2017-05-22 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2016-11-21 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2016-10-18 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2016-10-07 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2016-07-27 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
- 2016-06-14 Form 8-K, Item 1.01: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Read from Warner Music Group’s annual reports (10-K for 2025, 10-K for 2024, 10-K for 2023) and the financial data it files with the SEC, as of 2025-11-20. Every quotation is word for word from the filing linked beside it; how these pages are built and checked. The full record is in its company data sheet.