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TIVP039: Universal Music Group (UMG): Owning The World’s Music Catalog w/ Shawn O’Malley & Daniel Mahncke

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Sep 28, 2025

Discover how Universal Music Group dominates the music industry with a 30% share and high-quality earnings. Dive into the unique economics of music royalties and the impact of streaming on cash flow. The hosts discuss the partnership between labels and platforms, how labels still add value for artists, and explore threats and opportunities posed by AI. Learn about UMG's strategic acquisitions and how they navigate competition in the catalog market, all while debating the investment potential of this iconic company.

01:27:49

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INSIGHT

UMG Is A Global Music Toll Booth

Universal Music Group owns a dominant global catalog and collects royalties whenever those songs are used.
Scale, rights ownership, and platform monetization give UMG a durable cash-generating moat.

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ANECDOTE

Host's Personal Investment Story

Shawn started buying UMG in July 2024 after a prior Millennial Investing episode and an earnings sell-off.
He considers UMG one of the highest-quality businesses he has studied and holds it personally.

insights

INSIGHT

Market Share Drives Predictable Cash Flow

UMG controls ~30% share of global recorded music and publishing with 4 million tracks.
The company converts high margins into strong free cash flow, reflecting scale and pricing power.

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Why UMG Is an Investment Worth Studying

01:35 • 5min

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What Are UMG's Main Revenue Streams?

06:57 • 3min

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How UMG Operates Globally with A&R and Scale

10:25 • 3min

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The IPO, Major Shareholders, and Reporting Cadence

13:05 • 2min

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UMG's Corporate History and Evolution

15:30 • 5min

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How Does UMG Monetize Music Rights?

20:18 • 5min

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How Streaming Royalties Flow from Spotify to Rights Holders

25:08 • 2min

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Why Music Spending Fell but Consumption Rose

26:56 • 1min

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Why Do Artists Still Use Labels?

28:19 • 10min

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Can Independent Artists Replace Labels?

38:08 • 3min

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What Is the 'Artist-Centric' Royalty Model?

40:44 • 3min

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How UMG's Scale Creates a Negotiation Flywheel

44:07 • 3min

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How Streaming Turned Catalogs into Predictable Cashflows

47:36 • 3min

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Why Catalog Music Is So Valuable Long-Term

50:28 • 3min

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UMG's Growth Opportunity in Emerging Markets

53:26 • 5min

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Do Hits Still Matter for UMG's Future?

58:11 • 50sec

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Does AI Pose a Threat or an Opportunity?

59:01 • 6min

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How UMG Allocates Capital: Dividends and Catalog Deals

01:05:18 • 2min

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Is Executive Compensation Aligned with Shareholders?

01:07:31 • 4min

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How Should Investors Value UMG?

01:11:07 • 5min

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Does Competition from Private Buyers Threaten Catalog M&A?

01:16:08 • 4min

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What Is UMG's Fair Value and Portfolio Fit?

01:19:50 • 6min

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Should We Add UMG to the Intrinsic Value Portfolio?

Shawn O’Malley and Daniel Mahncke break down Universal Music Group (ticker: UMG), a company that controls a royalty stream on roughly ⅓ of the world’s music in an oligopolistic industry also dominated by Sony and Warner Music Group. Universal has incredibly high-quality earnings, with a very stable business and excess returns on capital — a recipe that is very appealing to investors at the right price.

In this episode, you’ll learn about the economics of the music industry, how Universal creates value for artists, what the company is doing in response to AI, the mutually dependent relationship between labels and music streaming platforms, and whether Universal Music Group’s stock is attractively priced, plus so much more!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

00:00 - Intro

05:00 - Why royalties from the music industry are so stable

07:57 - How Universal Music Group makes money and supports artists

11:12 - How Universal operates as an oligopoly alongside Sony and Warner Music Group

20:24 - The economics of digital streaming

43:48 - Why Universal’s leading market share position reinforces its advantages

01:04:48 - About UMG’s unique business model as a serial acquirer of music catalogs

01:10:35 - How to think about modeling UMG’s intrinsic value

01:21:27 - Whether Shawn and Daniel add UMG to their Intrinsic Value Portfolio

*Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences.

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Shawn’s 2024 Millennial Investing episode on Universal Music Group.
Shawn’s 2024 Millennial Investing episode on Spotify.
Check out the Music Royalties 101 article.
Bill Ackman’s presentation on Universal Music Group.
Dive into Shawn’s past podcast on Disney for more on the power of beloved IP.
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