Warner Music Restructuring: Hundreds of jobs to Be Cut as Company Invests in Music Catalogs
New York, NY – July 2, 2025 – Warner Music Group (WMG) today announced a final stage of restructuring that will result in the elimination of hundreds of jobs and $170 million in cost savings, as part of a broader $300 million reduction in annual expenses.This move comes just hours after the company unveiled a $1.2 billion joint venture with Bain Capital to invest in music catalogs [1].
The restructuring signals a clear strategic shift: doubling down on investments in music – including A&R and mergers & acquisitions – while streamlining operations and reducing costs in areas like staffing, administration, and real estate. This isn’t a new trend for WMG, which has already undergone “several waves of layoffs” in recent years, with further reductions expected into 2026 [2].
According to a memo from CEO Robert Kyncl to staff, the company is seeing positive momentum.Warner artists currently hold half of the Top Ten spots on the Spotify Global chart, and the company is making gains in global recorded music market share and music publishing revenue. Kyncl attributes this success to becoming “simultaneously more effective and more efficient,” allowing for increased investment in talent and “star-making expertise.”
The cost-cutting measures will be implemented over the next three months, with the remainder taking effect in fiscal year 2026. Kyncl acknowledged the difficulty of the news and pledged to act with “empathy and integrity