The IMS Business Report 2025 has identified various areas of growth within club culture and electronic music.
The annual conference and showcase returned to Ibiza, attracting music industry professionals from all areas of club culture to the White Isle. This year's event felt particularly impactful, as IMS delved into various perspectives on the nightlife sectors.
One of the primary insights from the IMS Business Report is the ongoing post-pandemic expansion of electronic music as an industry, with its worth increasing to $12.9 billion over the past year.
The 11th installment of the IMS Business Report was authored for the third consecutive year by Mark Mulligan from MIDiA Research, who noted that the growth rate was driven by a "maturing" audience.
He stated, “Global music industry revenue experienced growth once again in 2024, but at a slower pace than in 2023 due to maturing streaming revenues and a reduction in the post-Covid live revival. However, electronic music continued to grow its share of both revenue and cultural significance. This growth has been fueled by emerging genres such as Afro house, a revival of genres like drum & bass, and the emergence of a new generation of fans, creators, and scenes reshaping electronic music in their own image, marking the beginning of a bold new cultural era.”
The report indicates that streaming revenues have stabilized or even decreased in some instances; nevertheless, the IMS Business Report revealed a significant increase in subscriber numbers, which rose by 12% to 818 million globally across all platforms, with four-fifths of this growth occurring in markets within the Global South.
The IMS Business Report also examined the live market and noted that, following a post-pandemic surge, revenues have reached a record high. However, it suggests that the market is divided, with expensive high-profile tours and struggling DIY or grassroots venues.
Expanding on this point, Mulligan remarked, “Live music revenues are significantly higher now than they were before the pandemic. This increase can be partly attributed to the pent-up demand from people eager to experience live music again. However, much of the slower growth in 2024 compared to 2023 was due to rising ticket prices. The live business prides itself on having such a high demand for its product that it can continuously increase prices. We are nearing a tipping point where this cannot continue. Consumers have limited disposable income, and we're beginning to see signs that prices may be too high. In Ibiza and among the top 100 global tours, the number of tickets sold actually declined slightly in 2024, although increased ticket prices ensured that revenues still rose.”
Some relevant statistics include a reported 15% increase in electronic music listenership in key markets like the UK and Germany in 2024, while Mexico saw an impressive increase of 60%. On TikTok, posts featuring electronic music have finally surpassed those related to indie music.
Download the IMS Business Report 2025 HERE.
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The IMS Business Report 2025 has identified several opportunities for growth within club culture and electronic music. The yearly conference and showcase made a comeback to