Armando Navarro
May 4, 2025
IMS Ibiza reveleas IMS Business Report 2025. Mexico’s listener base surging 60% year-on-year
April 2025: IMS Ibiza - the annual thought-leadership summit at the intersection of electronic music, culture, technology, and business - reveals IMS Business Report 2025; the report returns for its eleventh edition, authored for the third year by MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan. The report offers the definitive snapshot of the global electronic music economy, examining both its cultural resonance and commercial realities. With many key financial, economic and cultural findings in this year’s analysis broken down in detail highlighting major emerging themes which can help to guide and inform the industry.
Global electronic music expansion
The global electronic music industry expanded to $12.9 billion in 2024, marking a 6% rise from 2023. While slightly slower than the previous year’s 9% growth, the gains reflect a maturing and resilient sector. Festivals and clubs remain the largest revenue source, but strong growth in publishing and hardware/software underline the industry’s multifaceted strength.
“Global music industry revenue grew again in 2024, though at a slower rate than in 2023 due to maturing streaming revenues and the post-covid live resurgence lessening – MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan words - Electronic music however, continued to increase its share of both revenues and culture. Driven by the rise of new genres like Afro House, a renaissance for genres like Drum & Bass, and the rise of a new generation of fans, creators and scenes remaking electronic music in their own image, electronic music finds itself at the start of a brave new era of culture resonance.”
Afro House leapt from 23rd to 4th most searched genre
For the fifth consecutive year, independent labels increased market share, reaching 30% of global label revenues. While major labels remain dominant, regional and digitally native players in the global south are gaining ground, carving out space with localised scenes and culturally attuned content strategies. Genres including Drum & Bass, Jungle, and UK Garage are undergoing a creative revival, particularly among younger audiences. Beatport data shows Afro House leapt from 23rd to 4th most searched genre, while SoundCloud saw a 100% increase in UK Garage uploads.
With 566 million new electronic music fans added across Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook in 2024, the electrotonic music genre continues to outperform rivals like rock and indie. The format of fandom is shifting too — SoundCloud saw a 14% rise in plays across electronic genres, particularly in re-emerging micro-scenes such as UK Garage.
Ibiza remains a global heartbeat of electronic music
Mexico, India, and Brazil drove subscriber and listener growth on Spotify, with Mexico’s listener base surging 60% year-on-year. Meanwhile, African genres including Afro House and Amapiano made significant strides, reflecting an electronic culture that is truly global, decentralised, and diverse. Clearly demonstrating that Ibiza remains a global heartbeat of electronic music and unrivalled cultural touchstone for the global dance music community Ibiza club ticketing revenue reached €150 million. (This figure reflects ticketing only and does not include VIP sales, so the total value created for the local economy was even higher) This represents a 6% increase for the Balearic island despite a dip in event volumes, as ticket prices rose and demand for high-value experiences held strong.
2024 was also a breakout year for music AI
The presence of electronic acts on global festival lineups hit 18%, up from 13% in 2021. Superstruct’s $1.4 billion acquisition highlighted the category’s commercial heat. Meanwhile, gender representation is shifting slowly but steadily: AlphaTheta’s registered female user base grew again in 2024, now at 16%. 2024 was also a breakout year for music AI, with 60 million users engaging music creation apps and 10% of consumers reporting having used generative AI to create music or lyrics. As a result, the line between fan and creator is becoming ever more fluid as AI, audio tools continue to democratise music creation.
The full IMS Business Report is available here.
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