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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and notes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and six month period ended March 31, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019.

The consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2018 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date but does not include all the information and notes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements.

For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 (File No. 001-32502).

Basis of Consolidation

The accompanying financial statements present the consolidated accounts of all entities in which the Company has a controlling voting interest and/or variable interest required to be consolidated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, Consolidation (“ASC 810”), requires the Company first evaluate its investments to determine if any investments qualify as a variable interest entity (“VIE”). A VIE is consolidated if the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE, which is the party involved with the VIE that has both (i) the power to control the most significant activities of the VIE and (ii) either the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. If an entity is not deemed to be a VIE, the Company consolidates the entity if the Company has a controlling voting interest.

The Company maintains a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the last Friday in each reporting period. As such, all references to March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018 relate to the periods ended March 29, 2019 and March 30, 2018, respectively. For convenience purposes, the Company continues to date its financial statements as of March 31. The fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 ended on September 28, 2018.

The Company has performed a review of all subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued and has determined that no additional disclosures are necessary.

Income Taxes

At the end of each interim period, the Company makes its best estimate of the effective tax rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year and uses that rate to provide for income taxes on a current year-to-date basis before discrete items.

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). In accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”) the Company recorded the impacts in the period of enactment.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Adoption of New Revenue Recognition Standard

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance codified in ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), which replaces the guidance in former ASC 605, Revenue Recognition and ASC 928-605, Entertainment – Music. The amendment was the result of a joint effort by the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board to improve financial reporting by creating common revenue recognition guidance for U.S. GAAP and international financial reporting standards ("IFRS"). The joint project clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue and develops a common revenue standard for U.S. GAAP and IFRS.

The Company adopted ASC 606 on October 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method to all contracts not completed as of the date of adoption. The reported results as of and for the three and six-months ended March 31, 2019 reflect the application of the new standard, while the reported results for the three and six-month period ending March 31, 2018 have not been adjusted to reflect the new standard and were prepared under prior revenue recognition accounting guidance.

The adoption of ASC 606 resulted in a change in the timing of revenue recognition in the Company’s Music Publishing segment as well as international broadcast rights within Recorded Music. Under the new revenue recognition rules, revenue is recorded based on best estimates available in the period of sale or usage whereas revenue was previously recorded when cash was received for both the licensing of publishing rights and international Recorded Music broadcast fees. Additionally, for certain licenses where the consideration is fixed and the intellectual property being licensed is static, revenue is recognized at the point in time when control of the licensed content is transferred to the customer. As a result of adopting ASC 606, the Company recorded a decrease to the opening accumulated deficit of approximately $139 million, net of tax, as of October 1, 2018. The Company also reclassified $28 million from accounts receivable to other current liabilities related to estimated refund liabilities for our physical sales.

The following table provides the cumulative effect of the changes made to the opening balance sheet, as of October 1, 2018, from the adoption of ASC 606 and which primarily relates to the accrual of licensing revenue in the period of sale or usage.

	September 30,			Impact of			October 1,
	2018			Adoption			2018
	(in millions)
Assets
Accounts receivable, net	$	447		$	257		$	704
Total current assets		1,176			257			1,433
Other assets		78			15			93
Total assets	$	5,344		$	272		$	5,616
Liabilities and Equity
Accrued royalties		1,396			79			1,475
Accrued liabilities		423			(1	)		422
Deferred revenue		208			(27	)		181
Other current liabilities		34			33			67
Total current liabilities		2,373			84			2,457
Deferred tax liabilities, net		165			37			202
Other noncurrent liabilities		307			1			308
Total liabilities		5,664			122			5,786
Equity:
Accumulated Deficit		(1,272	)		139			(1,133	)
Non-controlling interest		14			11			25
Total equity		(320	)		150			(170	)
Total liabilities and equity	$	5,344		$	272		$	5,616

The disclosure of the impact of adoption on the consolidated statement of operations for the three and six months ended March 31, 2019, the consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2019, and the consolidated statement of cash flows for the six months ended March 31, 2019 are as follows (in millions):

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	March 31, 2019									March 31, 2019
	As Reported			Balances without adoption of ASC 606			Effect of Change			As Reported			Balances without adoption of ASC 606			Effect of Change
	(in millions)									(in millions)
Revenues	$	1,090		$	1,080		$	10		$	2,293		$	2,263		$	30
Cost and expenses:
Cost of revenue		(559	)		(545	)		(14	)		(1,185	)		(1,169	)		(16	)
Operating income		122			126			(4	)		269			255			14
Income before income taxes		115			119			(4	)		251			237			14
Income tax expense		(48	)		(50	)		2			(98	)		(92	)		(6	)
Net income		67			69			(2	)		153			145			8
Less: Income attributable to noncontrolling interest		—			(1	)		1			—			(1	)		1
Net income attributable to Warner Music Group Corp.	$	67		$	68		$	(1	)	$	153		$	144		$	9

	March 31, 2019
	As Reported			Balances without adoption of ASC 606			Effect of Change
	(in millions)
Assets
Accounts receivable, net	$	781		$	497		$	284
Total current assets		1,524			1,240			284
Other assets		150			135			15
Deferred tax assets, net		7			7			—
Total assets	$	5,902		$	5,603		$	299
Liabilities and Equity
Accounts Payable		245			245			—
Accrued royalties		1,509			1,414			95
Accrued liabilities		409			410			(1	)
Deferred revenue		170			198			(28	)
Other current liabilities		153			123			30
Total current liabilities		2,518			2,422			96
Deferred tax liabilities, net		230			188			42
Other noncurrent liabilities		284			280			4
Total liabilities		6,022			5,880			142
Equity:
Accumulated Deficit		(1,043	)		(1,190	)		147
Non-controlling interest		20			10			10
Total equity		(120	)		(277	)		157
Total liabilities and equity	$	5,902		$	5,603		$	299

	March 31, 2019
	As Reported			Balances without adoption of ASC 606			Effect of Change
	(in millions)
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	$	153		$	145		$	8
Deferred income taxes		27			22			5
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		(90	)		(63	)		(27	)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(100	)		(103	)		3
Royalty payables		46			30			16
Deferred revenues		(19	)		(17	)		(2	)
Other balance sheet changes		28			31			(3	)
Net cash provided by operating activities		99			99			—
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and equivalents		(1	)		(1	)		—
Net decrease in cash and equivalents		(44	)		(44	)		—
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period		514			514			—
Cash and equivalents at end of period	$	470		$	470		$	—

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (“ASU 2016-01”). This ASU will require that equity investments, except those investments under the equity method of accounting, are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The Company may elect to measure equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable prices. The Company adopted ASU 2016-01 on October 1, 2018 and has elected to use the measurement alternative to measure our equity investments without readily determinable fair values. This guidance was applied prospectively and did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements. For the six months ended March 31, 2019, there were no observable price change events that were completed related to our equity investments without readily determinable fair values.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments ("ASU 2016-15"). This ASU provides specific guidance of how certain cash receipts and cash payments should be presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those years. The Company adopted ASU 2016-15 in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and this adoption did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory ("ASU 2016-16"). This ASU requires the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for intra-entity asset transfers when the transaction occurs. ASU 2016-16 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those years. The Company adopted ASU 2016-16 in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and this adoption did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In January of 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations, to clarify the definition of a business, which establishes a process to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities can be deemed a business combination. The Company adopted ASU 2017-01 in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and this adoption did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In February 2018, FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2018-02”). This ASU allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to accumulated deficit for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. ASU 2018-02 is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. The Company adopted ASU 2018-02 in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and this adoption did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (“ASU 2016-02”). This ASU establishes a right-of-use (“ROU”) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the statement of operations. ASU 2016-02 will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those years. Earlier adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities (“ASU 2017-12”). This ASU improves certain aspects of the hedge accounting model including making more risk management strategies eligible for hedge accounting and simplifying the assessment of hedge effectiveness. ASU 2017-12 is effective for all annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted and requires a prospective adoption with a cumulative-effect adjustment to accumulated deficit as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption for existing hedging relationships. The Company is evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its financial statements and disclosures.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.

+ References + Details