In a few short years, the major labels have gone from investing in and partnering with speculative tech startups to pouring money into regionally focused music companies across Asia, Africa and Latin America. After a brief flirtation with NFTs and live-streaming businesses, anything resembling a faddish technology seems to be out of favor, judging from the deals and partnerships they’ve been making lately.
The focus on emerging markets goes beyond acquisitions. In September, UMG launched a new company, Universal Music Group Greater Bay Area, that will be based in Shenzhen, making “the first time a major music company has established a division in China’s Greater Bay Area, the world’s most populous urban area,” the company said. Another development mentioned on UMG’s earnings call was GTS, a global talent services business in Latin America. In October, GTSseparate from UMG’s record labels.