Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q3 2025, total revenues grew 21% year-on-year to CNY 8.5 billion, marking the highest revenue growth since Q1 2021 [17] - Online music revenues increased by 27% year-on-year to CNY 7 billion [18] - Music subscription revenues surged 70% year-on-year to CNY 4.5 billion, driven by growth in monthly ARPPU and subscriber base [18] - Monthly ARPPU reached CNY 11.9, up from CNY 10.8 in the same period last year [18] - Net profit increased by 29% to CNY 2.2 billion, with non-IFRS net profit rising by 28% to CNY 2.5 billion [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Offline performances and artist-related merchandise sales experienced triple-digit year-on-year revenue growth [19] - Advertising revenue continued to grow, driven by a diversified product portfolio and innovative ad formats [19] - Social entertainment services and other revenues were CNY 1.5 billion, down by 3% year-on-year [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company successfully hosted multiple concerts both domestically and internationally, including a concert tour for G-Dragon that drew over 150,000 attendees [5][6] - The annual flagship TMEA Concerts featured 35 artists and attracted more than 10,000 attendees [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to leverage its dual-engine strategy of platform and content to enhance user experience and drive growth [10][33] - Continued focus on expanding the music service and unlocking new growth opportunities through artist partnerships and innovative offerings [3][8] - The company is committed to enhancing its music ecosystem and exploring new opportunities in offline performances and artist-related merchandise [23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in delivering strong results for Q4 2025 and 2026, with expectations of sustained healthy growth in music subscription and non-subscription businesses [25][27] - The competitive landscape remains challenging, but the company believes its extensive music library and user experience will maintain its leadership position [29][30] Other Important Information - The company has won the Music Garden Space Public Welfare Program for seven consecutive years, supporting music education in rural areas [9] - The company is exploring new product combinations and service formats to enhance the fan-based economy [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the outlook for Q4 2025 and 2026? - Management is optimistic about strong performance in both online music services and overall revenue growth for 2025, with a focus on subscription and non-subscription business growth [25][27] Question: How does management view the competitive landscape in the music streaming business? - Management acknowledges competition from peers but believes in their competitive edge through content differentiation and user experience [28][29] Question: What are the growth drivers for subscription services in 2026? - Growth will be driven by high-quality content, content privileges, and functional enhancements, with a focus on maintaining steady growth in subscriber base and ARPPU [39][41]

Core Viewpoint - Tencent Music's financial performance shows significant growth, with total revenue increasing by 20.6% year-on-year to 8.46 billion yuan, and adjusted net profit rising by 27.7% to 2.48 billion yuan, driven by its "one body, two wings" strategy in online music services [3] Group 1: Financial Performance - Total revenue for Tencent Music reached 8.46 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 20.6% [3] - Adjusted net profit increased by 27.7% to 2.48 billion yuan [3] - Online music service revenue was 6.97 billion yuan, up 27.2% year-on-year [3] - Online music subscription revenue reached 4.5 billion yuan, growing by 17.2% [3] - The number of paid online music users reached 125.7 million, with ARPPU rising to 11.9 yuan [3] Group 2: Strategic Developments - Tencent Music continues to deepen its "one body, two wings" strategy, enhancing its content ecosystem and expanding international business [3] - The company is focused on upgrading platform features and offering personalized membership services to meet diverse user needs [3] - There is a steady increase in super member penetration and ARPPU, contributing to overall performance growth [3] Group 3: Market Outlook - Analysts from multiple firms, including Morgan Stanley and CICC, express positive long-term expectations for Tencent Music, with ratings of "overweight" and "buy" [4] - Morgan Stanley highlights Tencent Music's clearer strategic layout and the growth potential of concert-related businesses as new revenue drivers [4] - CICC anticipates further growth in super member scale and ARPPU, supporting its "outperform" rating [4]

Core Insights - Tencent Music Entertainment Group reported its unaudited financial performance for the third quarter ending September 30, 2025, showing a total revenue of 8.46 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.6%, and an adjusted net profit of 2.48 billion yuan, up 27.7% [1] Revenue Breakdown - The online music business continues to drive growth, with online music service revenue increasing by 27.2% year-on-year to 6.97 billion yuan [1] - The average revenue per paid user per month rose from 10.8 yuan in the same period of 2024 to 11.9 yuan [1] Strategic Initiatives - The company achieved robust growth through the deepening of its "content and platform" dual strategy [1] - Tencent Music has strengthened collaborations with globally renowned record companies and artists, hosting large domestic and international tours and expanding its own performance IP matrix [1] - Continuous innovation in product features and services has been implemented to meet the diverse needs of user groups, creating personalized and differentiated music experiences [1]

Core Insights - Spotify and the National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) are collaborating to create a new revenue stream for music creators through a direct licensing agreement for expanded audiovisual rights [2][3] - The partnership aims to increase royalty payouts for independent music publishers and songwriters while allowing Spotify to enhance its video features to better connect artists and fans [3][4] Group 1: Partnership Details - The NMPA's opt-in portal will be available to over 2,800 members starting November 11, 2025, with onboarding continuing until December 19, 2025 [4] - This initiative is expected to provide indie publishers the opportunity to enter direct deals with Spotify regarding audiovisual streaming functionality [4] Group 2: Industry Context - The partnership occurs amidst ongoing tensions between the NMPA and Spotify, particularly regarding publisher royalty rates and bundling practices, which are projected to result in over $3.1 billion in losses for music publishers by 2032 [5][6] - As of Q3 2025, Spotify reported 281 million premium subscribers and over 713 million monthly active users globally [5]

Core Insights - Tencent Music has faced significant management upheaval due to the dismissal of two senior executives involved in corruption, which occurred seven years ago while they were in different roles [1] - The long-standing copyright disputes with the China Music Copyright Association have finally reached a resolution, with both parties signing a strategic cooperation memorandum to improve music licensing mechanisms [2][4] - Despite a strong financial performance in Q2 2023, Tencent Music's active user base continues to decline, marking the 15th consecutive quarter of year-on-year decreases in monthly active users [10][11] Management and Governance - Two senior executives from Tencent Music were dismissed and handed over to law enforcement for corruption related to past roles, indicating potential governance issues within the company [1] - The company has emphasized its commitment to compliance and governance in its ESG report, highlighting measures taken to avoid copyright infringement [2] Copyright and Legal Issues - Tencent Music has been involved in a protracted legal battle with the China Music Copyright Association over copyright licensing and compensation standards, which has now been resolved with a new strategic partnership [2][4] - Recent court rulings have resulted in Tencent Music's platforms being ordered to pay damages for copyright infringement, highlighting ongoing legal challenges in the industry [4] User Experience and Compliance - Tencent Music has established a comprehensive user service mechanism, achieving a 100% complaint resolution rate, yet user complaints regarding automatic renewals and service discrepancies remain high [7] - The company has faced scrutiny over data privacy and compliance issues, with past incidents leading to regulatory attention and negative publicity [9] Financial Performance - In Q2 2023, Tencent Music reported a revenue of 8.44 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.9%, and a net profit of 2.64 billion yuan, up 33% from the previous year [10] - Despite financial growth, the company is experiencing a decline in its user base, with a 3.2% drop in monthly active users to 553 million [11] Competitive Landscape - The competitive dynamics in the music streaming industry are shifting, with rivals like NetEase Cloud Music showing slight growth while Tencent Music's user base declines [11] - ByteDance's new music platform, Soda Music, has seen explosive growth, benefiting from integration with Douyin, which poses a challenge to Tencent Music's market position [11]

Core Insights - Spotify Technology S.A. has been identified as a must-buy stock following a price target increase from Cantor Fitzgerald, reflecting strong Q3 performance [1][2] Financial Performance - Spotify reported Q3 2025 revenue of €4.3 billion, exceeding consensus by 1%, and operating income of €582 million, outperforming expectations by 16% [1] - The company’s gross margin improved to 31.6%, surpassing guidance by 50 basis points, with a forecasted Q4 revenue of €4.5 billion, slightly below the €4.6 billion estimate [2] - Annual revenue for Spotify is nearing $19.8 billion, with a gross profit margin of 31.85% [2] Subscriber Growth - The subscriber count increased by 12% year-over-year to 281 million, while Monthly Active Users reached 713 million, up 11% [1] Market Position and Strategy - Spotify is recognized as a leading global audio streaming platform, primarily generating revenue through paid subscriptions, advertising, and strategic partnerships [4] - The company is gaining traction in podcasts and audiobooks, and is integrating AI features, which may support future price increases and margin expansion [3] Future Projections - For FY26, revenue estimates were slightly reduced by 1%, but EBIT projections increased by 7%, with a new price target based on a blended 35x multiple of FY26/27 EBIT [3]

Core Insights - Spotify is introducing a new feature called "Listening stats" that provides users with weekly insights into their listening habits, moving away from the previous annual summary approach [1][4] Group 1: Feature Overview - The "Listening stats" feature will display users' top artists and songs for the week, allowing sharing of these statistics via Instagram, WhatsApp, or directly with friends on Spotify [2][4] - Users can create playlists based on their listening preferences and habits through the stats page [3] Group 2: User Experience - The feature is being rolled out to both free and premium users in over 60 countries, maintaining the annual Wrapped recap for year-end insights [4] - While the new feature offers regular insights into listening patterns, it may reduce the surprise element associated with the annual Wrapped summary [4]

Core Viewpoint - The ongoing discussion regarding NetEase Cloud Music's lack of compatibility with HarmonyOS has sparked significant public interest, with the company emphasizing ongoing optimization efforts for a future release [1] Group 1: Company Response - NetEase Cloud Music's official customer service confirmed that the application has not yet been adapted for HarmonyOS, citing ongoing optimization and enhancement efforts to ensure a stable and smooth user experience upon release [1] - The customer service team reassured users that they are working on a comprehensive upgrade for the HarmonyOS version of Cloud Music, promising a new and improved experience soon [1] Group 2: Compatibility Issues - Currently, HarmonyOS users cannot directly search for and download Cloud Music, and using third-party applications like Zhuoyi Tong to run the Android version may lead to compatibility issues that need to be reported for resolution [1] - In April, the official Xiaohongshu account of NetEase Cloud Music warned users against downloading unofficial alternatives for HarmonyOS, citing concerns over potential security risks, including unauthorized access to user data and possible malware [1]

Core Viewpoint - A new lawsuit against Spotify alleges that the company ignores fraudulent streaming practices that inflate figures for major artists like Drake, harming lesser-known artists and rightsholders [3][4][6]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit, filed in a US federal court, claims that Drake receives millions in revenue from fake streams, while Spotify benefits from inflated user numbers [4][5]. - The legal action is a class action suit representing over one hundred thousand rightsholders who may fear challenging Spotify due to its power in the music industry [6]. - Spotify is the only defendant named in the suit, which focuses on the company's alleged failure to address streaming fraud [6]. Group 2: Financial Implications - Spotify operates on a pro-rata model, meaning inflated streaming figures for top artists reduce the revenue available for other artists [5]. - The lawsuit suggests that billions of fraudulent streams have been generated for Drake's songs, impacting the financial landscape for legitimate artists [5][6]. - The pressure on Spotify to grow its user base and increase stock prices may incentivize the company to overlook fraudulent activities [7]. Group 3: Company Response - A Spotify spokesperson stated that the company invests heavily in systems to combat streaming fraud and protect artist payouts [8]. - The spokesperson denied that Spotify benefits from fraudulent streams, emphasizing efforts to remove fake streams and impose penalties [8]. Group 4: Industry Context - The issue of streaming fraud has been a concern for services like Spotify since they became the primary method of music consumption, replacing downloads [7]. - Previous legal actions related to streaming fraud have occurred, indicating a broader industry challenge [8][9].

Core Insights - NetEase Cloud Music has launched an AI-based sound feature called "AI Tuning Master," aimed at enhancing the auditory experience for users [1][3] - The feature utilizes artificial intelligence to dynamically analyze song characteristics, allowing for intelligent sound adaptation, visual adjustments, and personalized customization [1][3] Group 1: Key Features - The "AI Tuning Master" has four main highlights: it uses AI models to understand audio content and match exclusive parameters for different songs, achieving a "thousand songs, thousand faces" effect [3] - The tuning process is visualized, providing real-time sound wave spectrum displays and music emotion analysis [3] - Users can further adjust settings based on preferences, such as "enhanced low frequencies" and "increased live feel" [3] - The feature includes a real-time listening function, allowing users to compare original sound with adjusted effects before playback [3] Group 2: Market Impact - The "AI Tuning Master" has received widespread acclaim during its testing phase, indicating strong user interest and potential market acceptance [3] - This feature enriches the platform's sound quality service ecosystem and will expand to cover multiple terminal scenarios, including APP, PC, TV, and in-car systems, to meet diverse user listening needs [3]