From WMG swooping for Revelator to UMG’s €500 million share buyback program… it’s MBW’s weekly round-up

This week, Warner Music Group entered right into a definitive settlement to accumulate Revelator, the B2B music platform specializing in digital distribution and rights administration.

In the meantime, a regulatory submitting in South Korea confirmed that HYBE is injecting $100 million into its US subsidiary, HYBE America Inc.

Elsewhere, Sony Music appointed Ezekiel Lewis as Chairman and CEO of Epic Information.

Additionally this week, Common Music Group kicked off its first-ever share buyback program, price €500 million, and UMG fired again at Drake’s enchantment over the dismissal of his ‘Not Like Us’ lawsuit.

Listed here are among the largest headlines from the previous few days…

1. WARNER MUSIC GROUP TO ACQUIRE REVELATOR

Warner Music Group has entered right into a definitive settlement to accumulate Revelator, described by WMG as “the progressive B2B music platform that serves the unbiased enterprise worldwide”.

The transaction is topic to customary circumstances and is predicted to shut subsequent quarter.

WMG stated that the deal marks the newest transfer in its distribution and label providers growth.

Shaped in 2012, Revelator focuses on digital music distribution, rights administration, royalty accounting, and real-time analytics… (MBW)

2. HYBE TO INJECT $100M INTO US SUBSIDIARY, HYBE AMERICA

HYBE is pumping $100 million into its US subsidiary, HYBE America Inc., in accordance with a regulatory submitting printed on Tuesday (March 31).

The capital injection, authorized by HYBE’s board on March 31, takes the type of a paid-in capital improve through which the South Korean leisure big is buying 10 million new shares in its wholly owned subsidiary.

The acquisition quantity of KRW 150.8 billion ($100m) was calculated utilizing the Seoul Overseas Change Brokerage’s quoted alternate price of KRW 1,508.10 per US greenback on March 30.

The submitting, printed on South Korea’s DART disclosure system, states that the aim of the funding is to assist “the graceful enterprise operations of HYBE America Inc.”… (MBW)

3. EZEKIEL LEWIS NAMED CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF EPIC RECORDS

Sony Music has appointed Ezekiel Lewis as Chairman and CEO of Epic Information.

On this position, Lewis will report back to Rob Stringer, Chairman, Sony Music Group.

Lewis joined Epic Information in 2018 as Govt Vice President, A&R, and was most not too long ago elevated to President in 2023, the place he led the A&R division whereas serving to run the day-to-day operations of the corporate.

In response to the announcement on Monday (March 30), as CEO, he’ll “direct all features of Epic’s artistic imaginative and prescient and enterprise operations, constructing on the label’s long-standing dedication to artist growth.”… (MBW)

4. UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP KICKS OFF €500 MILLION SHARE BUYBACK PROGRAM

Common Music Group kicked off its EUR €500 million (USD $579m) share repurchase program on Wednesday (April 1).

This system, initially introduced on Monday (March 30), marks the corporate’s first-ever share buyback.

As beforehand introduced, the world’s largest music firm will purchase again shares via a program executed by a single, unnamed dealer. The shares will likely be repurchased from the Euronext Amsterdam Inventory Change, Turquoise Europe, Aquis Change Europe and CBOE Europe Restricted.

This system is capped at 50 million shares and is predicted to wrap up by October 1, 2026, though UMG reserved the proper to droop, modify, or discontinue it at any level… (MBW)

5. UMG FIRES BACK AT DRAKE APPEAL OVER ‘NOT LIKE US’ CASE DISMISSAL: 3 TAKEAWAYS FROM RESPONSE BRIEF

Common Music Group has filed its response temporary in Drake’s enchantment towards the dismissal of his lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.

Within the 83-page temporary, UMG argues that Drake’s case fails as a result of “he seeks to strip phrases from their context and deem them actionable defamation”.

Drake filed his 117-page appellate temporary in January, difficult Decide Jeannette Vargas’s October dismissal of his defamation lawsuit towards UMG over Lamar’s Not Like Us.

He initially sued UMG in January 2025, about eight months after Not Like Us was launched, alleging that UMG “deliberately printed and promoted” the track, understanding that its lyrical content material was false and defamatory… (MBW)