Sony Group Corporation reported $3.12 billion in combined recorded music and music publishing revenue for calendar Q2 2026 (April–June), the highest quarterly total in a three-quarter streak above the $3 billion mark. The figure, released on Friday, July 31, 2026, represents a 12.7% year-on-year increase at consistent currency, up from $2.77 billion in the same quarter of 2025 — roughly $352 million in additional revenue. Music Business Worldwide

This is the third consecutive quarter Sony's music operations have cleared $3 billion. The run began in calendar Q4 2025, when combined revenue reached $3.01 billion, and continued through Q1 2026 at $3.03 billion. Music Business Worldwide

Sony attributed the quarter's growth to rising streaming revenues across both recorded music and publishing, plus a sharp jump in income from live events and merchandising.

Recorded music revenue alone reached an estimated $2.39 billion, up 14.7% from $2.09 billion a year earlier. Within that division, streaming — the revenue generated when users play songs on services like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube — brought in approximately $1.49 billion, a 9.8% increase from $1.36 billion. Physical sales, covering formats like CDs and vinyl, contributed $186 million, up 3.3% year-on-year.

The standout category was Sony's "Other" recorded music line, which covers live performances, merchandising and licensing revenue. It generated $671.7 million in the quarter, up 39.7% from the prior-year period — the fastest-growing segment by a wide margin.

Sony presented its fiscal Q1 2026 results via a live webcast from Tokyo at 16:00 JST on July 31, accompanied by presentation slides and a Q&A session. Sony Group IR

The dollar figures for Sony's music operations are calculated by Music Business Worldwide using average quarterly exchange rates provided by Sony. Because Sony Music Entertainment Japan reports in yen, currency fluctuations can affect the USD totals.

What makes this quarter notable is the balance behind the growth. Streaming remains the engine — $1.49 billion of recorded music's $2.39 billion came from plays on digital platforms — but the surge in live events and merchandising revenue, up nearly 40%, points to where the post-pandemic concert business now sits in a major label's balance sheet. Tours, merchandise stands and licensing deals are no longer supplementary income; at $671.7 million in a single quarter, they are a material part of the picture.

For context on scale: $3.12 billion in one quarter means Sony's music operations are generating roughly $34 million per day across recordings, publishing, physical sales, streaming, live events and merchandise combined. That figure places Sony alongside Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group as one of three companies that dominate the global recorded music market — the so-called "three majors" that collectively control the majority of the world's recorded music revenue.