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

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...