Jun 17, 2026 3:43pm IST
HYBE’s Si-Hyuk Bang And UMG’s Sir Lucian Grainge Discuss Evolution in Music Industry at Seoul Townhall
Year 3 of HYBE and Universal Music Group (UMG)’s collaboration in music is here and the two sonic giants have everything going for them. A townhall at the former’s agency in Seoul, South Korea on Wednesday saw chairman Si-Hyuk Bang and Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of UMG dig deeper into their plans, presenting it to a curious room of listeners.
During the chat, the two pioneers spoke about channeling their visions into bringing good music to the business, while also discussing carrying valuable insights to the listeners. Bang expressed plans to stay grounded and Grainge discussed how AI may impact how music has looked so far, it will not change the core of the business-its people.
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“Many leaders work to build successful companies, but Sir Lucian has consistently worked to move the music industry forward,” shared Si-Hyuk Bang. He added, “Throughout decades of change, he has repeatedly introduced new ideas and solutions that helped shape the future of the industry. I have long admired his leadership and continue to learn from the way he approaches change and innovation.”
The UMG leader reciprocated the feeling of respect, “Bang has built a truly unique company and creative culture. What HYBE has achieved across its artists, platforms and global business is extraordinary. The vision, determination and creativity behind that success are exceptionally rare. It has been a privilege to build this partnership together.”
HYBE and UMG’s collaboration is not now, they come from years of shared history including successful work with BTS’ releases in Japan for distribution of their music. It has since continued in the form of the addition of UMG artists to Weverse and the launch of HYBE x Geffen. It’s just year 3 of their 10-year agreement encompassing global music distribution and broader strategic collaboration, but the future looks bright.
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