That Q1 and Q2 2026 revenue figure represents a 4.9% year-over-year (YoY) improvement, with an 8.1% YoY spike on the organic-revenue side, per BMG. Elsewhere in its brass-tacks earnings release, the Bertelsmann subsidiary disclosed a 4% YoY operating EBITDA bump to $147 million/€127 million as well as a nearly 29% EBITDA margin (flat YoY).

Meanwhile, “underlying recorded music streaming subscription revenue” achieved “high single-digit growth” during the six-month stretch, BMG communicated.

Therein, the conglomerate placed the lion’s share of BMG revenue, $486 million/€419 million, in the evidently all-encompassing “rights and licenses” category. “Own products and merchandise” kicked in $27 million/€23 million, and the music company’s performance largely held steady on a geographic basis, the resource shows.

As in H1 2025, the States accounted for approximately half of BMG’s revenue in H1 2026, and the UK’s contribution grew 9% YoY to $58 million/€50 million. Most notably on this front, “other European countries” – meaning those besides the UK, France, and Germany – turned in a 13% YoY revenue boost to $101 million/€87 million.

Back to the IP side, deals for the song rights of Jelly Roll, Fuji Music Group, Jet, and others resulted in H1 2026’s delivering “the highest first-half investment in music rights in the company’s history.” And all told, BMG has since 2021 deployed around $1.85 billion/€1.6 billion on catalogs, according to the announcement.

Regarding what’s not in said announcement, BMG mentioned its Suno licensing deal a grand total of zero times; in fact, the Berlin-based business seemingly opted against so much as referencing generative artificial intelligence, even in a section dedicated to AI.

This curious omission aside – the majors certainly haven’t hesitated to underscore their own AI partnerships – BMG drove home that it’s leveraging AI to maximize fan engagement, improve productivity, and “activate catalog more effectively.”

“Our first-half results reflect the strength of the business we have built over the past several years,” Coesfeld stated in part. “Through BMG Next, we have become a more focused, more profitable, digital-first business – one that is better able to invest in artists, songwriters, and music rights for the long term.

“Sustained organic growth, record profitability, and our highest-ever first half investment in music rights give us a strong foundation for the opportunities ahead,” continued the exec, who’s set to begin leading Bertelsmann itself at 2027’s start.