UNLIMITED SUPPLY with Digital Music News Ty-LA Ty-LER, the lowest form of human life, and maybe content IS king.
Nov 12, 2025
Sony Music shines with impressive earnings, driven by streaming growth and unique publishing strategies. The podcast dives into the emerging partnership between TikTok and iHeart, aimed at monetizing creators and bringing fresh relevance to music enjoyment. Highlights include Tyla's viral success, alongside the bizarre tale of a writer experimenting with TikTok audio in public transit. The conversation also touches on HYBE's innovative revenue strategies and comparisons to Spotify's content-focused future.
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Content Ownership Powers Sony's Growth
- Sony's Q3 showed streaming recording growth of 11.6% and diversified revenue across genres and catalogs.
- Strong publishing growth (streaming publishing +17.2%, overall +24.6%) suggests content ownership is driving margins.
Engagement Revenue Can Be High But Not Profitable
- HYBE posted a record Q3 with revenue up 37% driven mainly by direct engagement (66%).
- Despite revenue gains, HYBE remained unprofitable while investing in IP and catalog acquisitions.
TikTok + iHeart Seek New Creator Revenue
- TikTok and iHeart's partnership aims to monetize creator activity and refresh iHeart's relevance beyond radio.
- The deal follows earlier joint initiatives like the Next Up live music competition.