IMS Electronic Music Business Report 2025/26: Analysis & Key Takeaways
Following the release of the IMS Electronic Music Business Report 2025/26, this analysis session brings together leading voices from across the electronic music industry to unpack the data, trends and market shifts shaping the year ahead.

Moderated by Katie Bain, Director of Billboard Dance at Billboard, the conversation features Mark Mulligan, Founder of MIDiA Research, Finlay Johnson, CEO of the Association For Electronic Music, and Aurelia Sarah Ortiz, Managing Director of Encode Talent.

Together, they explore the major themes from this year’s report, from rising industry value and changing fan behaviour to the growing pressure on clubs, artist sustainability, ticket pricing, VIP culture, emerging markets, catalogue value, harder sounds, AI, fragmentation and the future of local scenes.

Key Moments
00:41 Mark Mulligan on the key shifts in the 2025/26 report
01:22 Fewer tickets, higher revenue and changing fan behaviour
01:41 Bigger events, VIP experiences and accessibility
03:19 Local scenes, underground culture and resisting content-first culture
05:15 Why SoundCloud still matters to electronic music communities
06:38 Building sustainable careers across electronic music
08:41 Creating a stronger middle class of artists, teams and promoters
09:49 The value of electronic music catalogues and remix culture
11:52 Harder sounds, global uncertainty and audience demand
13:16 Touring costs, transport disruption and Ibiza’s changing market
14:49 Flight prices, fuel costs and future pressure on travel
15:29 VIP culture, GA pricing and long-term fan development
17:21 What football can teach dance music about over-commercialisation
18:05 The rise of the Global South and new electronic music markets
19:10 How artists can enter festival-led markets
20:20 Festival culture, shallow fandom and the need for deeper roots
21:18 Final thoughts

Download the full IMS Electronic Music Business Report 2025/26 to explore the data in full: https://bit.ly/433OVDX

International Music Summit is the leading summit for business, culture and education in global electronic music, bringing music industry together each year in Ibiza annually for talks, keynotes, wellness, lifestyle, networking, and nightlife.

Sign up for IMS Ibiza 2027 updates: https://bit.ly/4uH9imd

via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgis_3Vo3VQ