In Partnership with
April 21, 2026
IMS Ibiza, the annual thought-leadership summit at the intersection of electronic music, culture, technology, and business, today unveils the IMS Electronic Music Business Report 2025/6. Presented live at IMS Ibiza, the report returns for its twelfth edition, authored for the fourth consecutive year by MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan.
The report provides a detailed view of the global electronic music economy, tracking both its commercial trajectory and its cultural momentum. What emerges this year is a picture of a sector that is not only growing in value, but consolidating its role as one of the most globally consistent and culturally embedded genres in modern music.
MIDiA Research is a leading provider of research, analysis, and data for the digital entertainment business, focused on the intersection of technology and entertainment.
“MIDiA is proud to have worked with IMS on this latest edition of the Electronic Music Business Report and we are encouraged by this year’s trends. 2025 was another good year for the global electronic music market with growth rooted in thriving scenes. The fact that the business did so well against a backdrop of global uncertainty and disruptive technological change points both to the resilience of the industry and that the escapist role of the dancefloor has never been more important.” MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan
The global electronic music industry reached a value of $15.1 billion in 2025, representing 7% year-on-year growth and a modest acceleration on the previous year. This growth reflects a broad-based expansion across multiple revenue streams, rather than reliance on any single driver.
“The newly titled IMS Electronic Music Business Report points to a strong 2026 ahead, despite the wider global climate around us. As we move into one of the most testing yet creatively charged phases in electronic music’s relatively short history, AI is beginning to reshape how we work, how artists create, and how fans consume. It will be disruptive, but it is a shift the genre is well placed to meet. Electronic music was built on new technology and on a willingness to move with it. That instinct still runs through the culture today, reflected in the community around IMS and in those continuing to drive it forward. Special thanks to Midia for the additional metrics integrated this year to make the report more robust as it evolves.” IMS Co-Founder Ben Turner
Publishing, DSP revenues, and merchandise were among the strongest performing areas, highlighting the increasing importance of diversified income models. At the same time, the wider music industry continues to shift toward monetising fandom, with expanded rights, direct-to-consumer channels, and fan-driven ecosystems becoming more central to long-term value creation.
Across the global music business, 2025 marked a return to stronger momentum. Recorded music revenues grew by 9%, while publishing revenues rose by 11%. Total global music subscribers reached 919 million, with growth increasingly driven by Global South markets, where scale and adoption continue to reshape the industry’s geographic center of gravity.
Electronic music continues to benefit directly from these shifts. Its audience remains both global and highly engaged, with an additional 0.6 billion fans added across Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook in 2025. While growth has slightly slowed compared to previous peaks, it remains in line with other leading genres, reinforcing electronic music’s position as a stable and enduring cultural force.
At a market level, Germany retained its position as the world’s largest electronic music market, with overall listener growth across key territories increasing by 11%.
Electronic music now ranks as a top three genre in nearly all of its leading markets, underlining its rare ability to translate across borders, cultures, and languages without losing relevance.
This global consistency is matched by continued evolution at a genre level. Tech House maintained its position as the top-selling genre on Beatport, extending a multi-year run at the top. Alongside this, Afro House has emerged as one of the most dynamic areas of growth, rising rapidly across production and creator platforms such as Splice and reflecting a broader shift toward globally influenced sounds and hybrid scenes.
Investment trends further reinforce confidence in the category. Electronic music accounted for 18% of all announced catalogue acquisition deals in 2025, with investors increasingly drawn to newer catalogues that offer long-term streaming upsides and stronger engagement with younger audiences.
On social and creator platforms, electronic music continues to expand its cultural footprint. TikTok and SoundCloud in particular have become key engines for discovery, with electronic music hashtags, scenes, and formats growing at pace. The genre’s visual and performance-led nature, alongside its deep connection to community and identity, continues to translate strongly into short-form and user-generated environments.
At the same time, electronic music’s role within the live ecosystem remains central, even as the market evolves. Ibiza continues to act as a global benchmark, with club ticketing revenue reaching €160 million in 2025. This growth comes despite a reduction in the number of events, pointing to a shift toward higher-value experiences and more concentrated demand.
