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Goodwill and Intangible Assets | 9 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2025
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract] |
Goodwill and Intangible Assets | Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill The following analysis details the changes in goodwill for each reportable segment:
| Recorded Music |  | Music Publishing |  | Total
| (in millions)
Balances at September 30, 2024 | $ | 1,557 |  |  | $ | 464 |  |  | $ | 2,021 |
Acquisitions | 22 |  |  | — |  |  | 22 |
Other adjustments (a) | 21 |  |  | — |  |  | 21 |
Balances at June 30, 2025 | $ | 1,600 |  |  | $ | 464 |  |  | $ | 2,064 |
______________________________________ (a)Other adjustments during the nine months ended June 30, 2025 represent foreign currency movements. The Company performs its annual goodwill impairment test in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”) during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year as of July 1. The Company may conduct an earlier review if events or circumstances occur that would suggest the carrying value of the Company’s goodwill may not be recoverable. No indicators of impairment were identified during the current period that required the Company to perform an interim assessment or recoverability test. Intangible Assets Intangible assets consist of the following:
| Weighted-Average Useful Life |  | June 30, 2025 |  | September 30, 2024
|  |  | (in millions)
Intangible assets subject to amortization: |  |  |  |  |
Recorded music catalog | 12 years |  | $ | 1,780 |  |  | $ | 1,616 |
Music publishing copyrights | 24 years |  | 2,677 |  |  | 2,227 |
Artist and songwriter contracts | 13 years |  | 1,143 |  |  | 1,125 |
Trademarks | 16 years |  | 55 |  |  | 69 |
Other intangible assets | 6 years |  | 88 |  |  | 69 |
Total gross intangible assets subject to amortization |  |  | 5,743 |  |  | 5,106 |
Accumulated amortization |  |  | (2,979) |  |  | (2,747) |
Total net intangible assets subject to amortization |  |  | 2,764 |  |  | 2,359 |
Intangible assets not subject to amortization: |  |  |  |  |
Trademarks and tradenames | Indefinite |  | 154 |  |  | 152 |
Total net intangible assets |  |  | $ | 2,918 |  |  | $ | 2,511 |
The increase in net intangible assets during the nine months ended June 30, 2025 is primarily related to the acquisition of Tempo Music Holdings, LLC (“Tempo”) which is further described below. Additionally, the Company completed various business combinations during the nine months ended June 30, 2025 which resulted in the recognition of intangible assets with a preliminary estimated fair value of $39 million in the aggregate within recorded music catalogs, artist and songwriter contracts, trademarks, and other intangibles. The increase in net intangible assets was partially offset by the impairment of trademarks and other intangible assets of $29 million, in the aggregate, within the Recorded Music segment. On February 5, 2025, WMG Tempo Holdco LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Acquisition Corp. and an indirect subsidiary of the Company, which has majority representation on the board of WMG Tempo Holdco LLC, acquired a 50.1% interest in Tempo, a proprietary music rights acquisition platform, for consideration of $76 million, including transaction costs, with an option, exercisable on or prior to November 30, 2027, to acquire the remaining 49.9% of Tempo for approximately $73 million, subject to contractual adjustments. The transaction was accounted for as an asset acquisition in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations, and the Company recognized $351 million of music publishing copyrights and $87 million of recorded music catalogs which will each be amortized over an estimated useful life of 15 years. Additionally, the Company recognized approximately $13 million of net assets, which consists primarily of cash and accounts receivables. In connection with the transaction, the Company assumed long-term debt held by one of Tempo’s subsidiaries, which was recognized on the acquisition date at its estimated fair value of approximately $302 million. The assumed long-term debt is secured only by certain music rights owned by Tempo and is nonrecourse to the Company and its subsidiaries, other than Tempo (refer to Note 7 for more information on the acquired long-term debt). Finally, the Company recognized a corresponding noncontrolling interest of $73 million based on the fair value of the acquired assets.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for goodwill and intangible assets. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Topic 350 -SubTopic 30 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/350-30/tableOfContent Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/350-20/tableOfContent + Details
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