Sony Group Corporation has reported a record-breaking performance for its fiscal second quarter, leading the company to raise its full-year financial forecasts. The music segment saw revenue climb 10.3% year over year to 598.4 billion yen, or $3.78 billion. Operating income for the division rose 6.4% to 122.8 billion yen ($775 million), marking a record for the second quarter.
The recorded music and publishing sectors were primary drivers of this growth. Within the Rob Stringer-led recorded music division, revenue increased 19.5% to 383 billion yen ($2.42 billion), while music publishing revenue grew 12.2% to 119 billion yen ($751 million).
Drivers of Segment Performance
Sony attributed the quarterly results to gains in streaming, merchandising, and live revenue. In recorded music, streaming revenue rose more than 7% year over year, with publishing streaming revenue increasing by nearly 6%. Physical sales also contributed to the momentum, rising 16.5% to 32 billion yen ($202 million).
- The company’s top recorded music sellers included ATEEZ, Michael Jackson, Ella Langley, Bad Bunny, SZA, Shakira, Beyoncé, Future, and Peter.
- Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has surpassed 1.8 billion cumulative streams worldwide and spent 26 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Catalog music remains a significant factor, with tracks released more than 18 months ago accounting for more than half of Sony’s streams on Spotify’s Global Top 200 through September.
- Michael Jackson’s catalog saw a post-biopic surge, generating over 3 billion streams on Spotify’s Global Top 200 since January, compared to approximately 100 million in calendar 2025.
Updated Full-Year Outlook
Following these results, Sony raised its full-year sales forecast by 5% to 2.3 trillion yen ($14.5 billion). The operating income forecast was also increased by 6% to 44 billion yen ($2.8 billion), while the adjusted OIBDA forecast was raised to 570 billion yen ($3.6 billion). The company stated that the upgraded outlook reflects expectations for continued growth in streaming, live events, and merchandising.
