Nominal or face amount used to calculate payment on derivative.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121590274&loc=SL5580258-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121590274&loc=SL5579245-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativesFairValueLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum period the entity is hedging its exposure to the variability in future cash flows for forecasted transactions, excluding those forecasted transactions related to the payment of variable interest on existing financial instruments, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121549185&loc=d3e80748-113994

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MaximumLengthOfTimeHedgedInInterestRateCashFlowHedge1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after tax and reclassification, of gain (loss) from derivative instrument designated and qualifying as cash flow hedge included in assessment of hedge effectiveness.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121641772&loc=d3e637-108580

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121641772&loc=SL7669646-108580

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCashFlowHedgeGainLossAfterReclassificationAndTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after tax and before reclassification, of gain (loss) from derivative instrument designated and qualifying as cash flow hedge included in assessment of hedge effectiveness.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121641772&loc=SL7669646-108580

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121641772&loc=d3e637-108580

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCashFlowHedgeGainLossBeforeReclassificationAfterTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before tax and reclassification, of gain (loss) from derivative instrument designated and qualifying cash flow hedge included in assessment of hedge effectiveness.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121577181&loc=SL110061190-113977

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4A
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121590274&loc=SL5618551-113959

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4C
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121590274&loc=SL5624171-113959

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121641772&loc=d3e637-108580

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121641772&loc=SL7669646-108580

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCashFlowHedgeGainLossBeforeReclassificationAndTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Realized Gain (Loss) on Fair Value Hedges Recognized in Earnings

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wmg_RealizedGainLossOnFairValueHedgesRecognizedInEarnings
Namespace Prefix:	wmg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Fair Value Hedges Recognized in Earnings

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wmg_UnrealizedGainLossOnFairValueHedgesRecognizedInEarnings
Namespace Prefix:	wmg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PositionAxis=us-gaap_ShortMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PositionAxis=us-gaap_LongMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Derivative Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Companys hedged interest rate transactions	3 years
Deferred (losses) gains on derivative financial instruments	$ 3	$ 3
Interest Rate Swap
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Outstanding hedge contracts	820		$ 820
Deferred gain (loss) on derivative financial instruments	(26)
Deferred (losses) gains on derivative financial instruments			$ (29)
Unrealized pre-tax (losses) gains on derivative financial instruments	4	4
Foreign Exchange Contract \| Other Income (Expense)
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Realized foreign exchange forward contract gain (loss)	(1)	(1)
Unrealized foreign exchange forward contract gain (loss)	(4)	$ (3)
Sale
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Outstanding hedge contracts	270
Purchase
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Outstanding hedge contracts	$ 176