Universal Music Group reports $3.90 billion in Q3 revenue, up 11.7%. HILVERSUM, NETHERLANDS (CelebrityAccess) - Universal Music Group (UMG) reported $3.90 billion (€3.39 billion) in third-quarter 2026 revenue, an 11.7% increase year-over-year at constant currency, fueled by subscription streaming growth, physical music sales and strong performances from artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, Stray Kids, Mrs. Green Apple and The Beatles. According to UMG's financial results released Thursday, October 29, revenue increased 12.3% at reported exchange rates during the three months ending September 30. Excluding the contribution from Downtown Music Holdings, which UMG consolidated earlier this year, revenue grew 5.3% at constant currency. Recorded music remained the company's largest business, generating approximately $2.94 billion in revenue, up 14.7% at constant currency. According to Music Business Worldwide, subscription and streaming revenue reached approximately $2.08 billion, with paid subscription revenue climbing 19.2% to $1.64 billion. UMG attributed the subscription growth to higher wholesale streaming prices, continued subscriber gains and benefits from its Streaming 2.0 agreements with digital platforms. Even without Downtown's contribution, subscription revenue increased 9.5%, reflecting continued growth in the company's core recorded music business. Physical music sales also rose 17.4% to approximately $451 million. UMG reported increased demand across North America, Japan and Europe, supported by both new releases and catalog recordings. Advertising-supported streaming revenue increased 13.5% to approximately $445 million. The company's music publishing division generated approximately $679 million, up 7.5% at constant currency. Digital publishing revenue rose 11.8%, while performance revenue increased 1.7%. Synchronization revenue remained largely unchanged from the previous year. Not every division reported growth. Merchandising and other revenue declined 4.6% to approximately $285 million, primarily because the same quarter in 2025 benefited from more major touring activity. UMG said increased direct-to-consumer merchandise sales helped offset part of the decline. Profitability also improved during the quarter. UMG reported adjusted EBITDA of €729 million ($838 million), up 9% at constant currency. Excluding Downtown, adjusted EBITDA increased 7%, while the adjusted EBITDA margin improved by 0.4 percentage points to 22.4%. UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge credited the results to the company's continued investment in artists, streaming and technology. "Our results show the enduring value of backing extraordinary artists, bold ideas, and the teams and technology that help bring their work to the world," Grainge said. "The industry is healthy and growing, and we will keep evolving from a position of strength. We are investing in human artistry, improving the economics of streaming, and expanding what's possible for artists and fans. To support that strategy, we are making UMG faster and more focused so we can operate more efficiently and drive sustained growth and long-term value." Chief Financial Officer Matt Ellis also pointed to improving margins and the company's ongoing integration of Downtown Music Holdings, which has expanded UMG's artist and label services business. According to the company's earnings report, UMG generated €9.59 billion in revenue during the first nine months of 2026, representing an 11.1% increase at constant currency. Excluding Downtown, revenue for the nine-month period grew 5.5%. The results come as UMG continues to expand its streaming partnerships, strengthen its independent artist services and invest in new technology while addressing the growing role of artificial intelligence in the music business.

The Grey Ghost finally gets its beat drop. If you've ever strolled along the bustling marina in Cabo San Lucas and wondered about that hulking, concrete skeleton looming quietly above the waterfront - you're not alone. Locals have called it "The Grey Ghost" for decades, and for good reason: the unfinished building has stood frozen in time since the early 1990s, a weathered specter watching over one of Mexico's most vibrant resort destinations. But the haunting is finally over. And what's coming next? A music-powered hotel experience unlike anything Baja has ever seen. How the ghost was born The story of the Grey Ghost is one of ambition, legal drama, and the kind of Mexican real estate saga that feels too wild to be true. Construction began in the late 1980s on what was meant to be a landmark hotel right at the water's edge of the Cabo San Lucas marina. Then came the devastating peso devaluation of the early '90s, which stopped work cold and left the reinforced concrete shell to quietly corrode in the salt air - year after year, decade after decade. For nearly 30 years, the property was tangled in disputes involving unpaid taxes, bitter union standoffs with the CROC workers' union, and a labyrinthine legal battle over ownership. Travelers posted TripAdvisor threads about it. Expats traded theories at the bar. The building became a local legend - an oddly beloved eyesore sitting on one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on the Baja peninsula. "It would be so nice if they could do something with the building." - a refrain heard from Cabo visitors and locals for over 30 years. Enter Grupo Questro The breakthrough came when Eduardo Sanchez Navarro of Grupo Questro - the Sanchez Navarro family, connected to the Modelo beer empire and among the most powerful developers in Los Cabos - finally resolved the legal dispute and took control of the property. Grupo Questro is no stranger to reshaping the Cabo coastline: they're behind Puerto Los Cabos marina, Hotel El Ganzo, Casa Dorada, ME Cabo, and a string of other marquee properties across the region. In early 2022, Grupo Questro announced a groundbreaking moment - literally. Under the name "The Place at Cabo," they laid out plans to restore and transform the marina-side structure into a mixed-use destination featuring 150 hotel rooms, a strip mall, an interactive museum, and even a marina trolley to move guests and locals along the iconic malecón waterfront. The city exhaled. The ghost had a name. Things were moving. The cat is out of the hat - and it's playing music Now, the story takes an even bigger turn. Grupo Questro has sealed a deal with Universal Music Group, bringing the global UMusic Hotels brand to Cabo San Lucas. That's right - the same powerhouse behind Motown, Def Jam, Island Records, and a roster of artists that spans every generation is now coming to the marina. UMusic Hotels is a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Dakia U-Ventures, built on the idea that every destination has a story best told through music. The concept goes well beyond a hotel with a playlist - think state-of-the-art concert venues, artist-in-residence programs, immersive music-themed design, and a hotel experience where the local cultural sound is woven into every corner, from the lobby to the rooftop. UMusic Hotels describes itself as creating "immersive destinations where music, media, and hospitality converge" - a global ecosystem now planting its roots in the Cabo marina. Construction is aimed to begin in 2026, with a build-out duration of approximately two years. If the timeline holds, Cabo San Lucas could be welcoming guests to the new UMusic Hotel by roughly 2028 - and the Grey Ghost will finally be gone forever, replaced by something that pulses with life. Why this matters for Cabo Cabo San Lucas is in the middle of an extraordinary hotel boom. From the Park Hyatt and St. Regis to Soho House and 1 Hotels, luxury brands are racing to plant flags on the Baja peninsula. But the UMusic Hotel at the marina has something none of the corridor properties can claim: a story. A mythology. Thirty years of collective anticipation from every visitor who ever glanced up at that grey skeleton and wondered. A music-first luxury hotel sitting right on the marina - within walking distance of the famous arch, the sport-fishing docks, and the best fish tacos in town - is the kind of development that doesn't just add hotel rooms. It reshapes the identity of a destination. For a city whose soundtrack has always been the crashing Pacific and the clink of margarita glasses, the Grey Ghost's transformation into a UMusic Hotel feels less like a real estate deal and more like the right ending to a very long story. The ghost is ready to perform. And the set list is going to be incredible. A Ghost's timeline * 1980s Construction begins on an ambitious marina-front hotel project in Cabo San Lucas. * 1990s Peso devaluation halts construction cold. The "Grey Ghost" era begins. * 2014-19 After nearly 18 years of legal dispute, ownership is resolved. Grupo Questro acquires the property. * 2022 Grupo Questro announces "The Place at Cabo" - a groundbreaking for the marina-side redevelopment. * 2025-2026 Deal sealed with Universal Music Group. UMusic Hotel Cabo San Lucas is officially announced. * 2026-2028 Construction begins. The ghost becomes a stage. Estimated opening circa 2028 Cabo San Lucas is evolving fast, and opportunities like this don't wait. Contact Alen Fabjan at The Oppenheim Group Cabo to stay ahead of the market and discover what this landmark development means for real estate in Los Cabos.

Creators can now add popular songs to videos using Adobe Premiere mobile. Adobe has partnered with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group to bring licensed songs to its free Premiere mobile app. The integration will allow creators to add popular tracks to videos, with certain restrictions on commercial use. Published on: 03 Nov 2026, 3:00 pm Updated on: 03 Nov 2026, 3:00 pm Adobe is expanding the music library of its free Premiere mobile video editing app through partnerships with Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group (WMG). The deal will allow creators to add licensed music from popular artists directly to their videos, making mobile editing more convenient. Popular music coming to Premiere mobile. Announced on November 3, the partnerships will bring music from the two major record labels into Adobe's mobile editing platform. Users will be able to browse, search and preview songs by artist or track, with filters for genre and duration. The update will also let creators add up to 60 seconds of a popular song to their videos. Users can bookmark their favourite tracks and explore music collections selected by participating labels. Adobe is also introducing music-powered templates. These customizable options will allow users to start editing with a soundtrack already selected, helping them build visuals around a particular song. Once editing is complete, users will be able to export their videos and share them on supported social platforms, including YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram Reels. Music licensing comes with restrictions. The new music library will be available for personal, non-commercial use. This means creators cannot automatically use these tracks for advertisements, sponsored videos or other commercial projects. Adobe Stock Audio will remain available for users who need commercially licensed music for professional projects. The company has not announced an exact release date for the new library. It has also not disclosed the complete list of participating artists or the total number of tracks that will be available. Adobe expands its mobile editing features. The partnerships add another feature to Adobe Premiere mobile, which already offers video editing tools, audio enhancement and AI-powered creative capabilities through Adobe Firefly. With the new integration, Adobe aims to make music discovery and video production easier within a single application. The move also strengthens its position in the growing mobile video editing market, where apps such as CapCut compete for content creators. For musicians and record labels, the arrangement offers another way to bring their catalogues to audiences who increasingly discover and use music through short-form video content.