“As you can see from PSTH’s announcement, this investment represents a strong validation of UMG, our strategy, our people, our legendary catalog and our amazing roster of artists and songwriters,” UMG CEO Lucian Grainge wrote in a staff memo on Sunday. “And the fact that we now have, in addition to Vivendi, two committed investors — the consortium led by Tencent, as well as PSTH — is as powerful an endorsement as one could imagine from the investment and technology communities.”
Grainge added, “On Tuesday, at Vivendi’s General Shareholders’ Meeting, shareholders will consider Vivendi’s proposal to distribute 60% of the UMG share capital and list UMG’s shares on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange. I will keep you updated on all these developments.”
Vivendi previously sold a 20 percent stake in UMG to a consortium led by Chinese online giant Tencent. It has said it plans to distribute 60 percent of UMG, while retaining the remaining 10 percent for a minimum period of two years.
UMG is the world’s biggest music label and follows Warner Music to the public markets. Warner Music IPOd in 2020, with a $15 billion valuation. it is currently valued at just under $18 billion. The rise of streaming services like Spotify and social platforms like TikTok have significantly bolstered the music business in recent years.
