true IMS Industry Insider | Welcome
05 Aug 2025
Business
  • Deezer published its financial results for the six-month period ending 30 June, reporting flat revenue performance as its total subscriber base fell to 9.2m at the end of H1, down from 9.4m in Q1 and against 10m in H1 2024. (MBW) 
  • Spotify reported total revenue for Q2 increased 10% to €4.2bn and gross margin improved to 31.5% (versus 29.2% a year ago), but shy of its guidance. A net loss of €86m compared with a net profit of €274m in the year-ago quarter. Total Monthly Active User rose 11% year-on-year, and 3% on Q2 to 696m. Premium subs rose 10% and 2% to 276m. (Variety) 
  • Universal Music Group reported its financial results for Q2 and H1 2025. For Q2, revenue grew 4.5% in constant currency to €2.98bn and adjusted EBITDA was up 7.3% to €676m. H1 revenue of €5.88bn was up 6.9% in constant currency for the period ending 30 June. Recorded music revenue increased 7% to €4.46bn, with music publishing rising 12.1% to €1.12bn. Subscription revenue from recorded music grew 8.9% year-on-year, while streaming revenue grew 4.6%. Physical revenue declined 0.5%. Downloads and other digital revenue were up 17.2%, while license and other revenue grew 8.6% y-o-y. Adjusted EBITDA lifted 8.5% to €1.33bn. (PRNewswire) 
News and Features
  • Infamous PR, an independent music and culture PR agency, has appointed Maxfield Frieser as its CEO, with founder Alastair Duncan moving to a new chairman role. (PRWeek) 
  • Applications for the next round of Help Musicians and DJ Mag’s Electronic Music Award are now open. (DJ) 
  • From 7 August, Radio 1’s Residency will continue on the network and Radio 1 Dance with a new line-up of DJs. (BBC) 
  • Beatport and Miller Genuine Draft have launched a fund supporting independent electronic music venues across Turkey, Hungary, Georgia and Australia, with a €60,000 fund split equally between each country. (Mixmag) 
Digital
  • Spotify is teasing that generative AI advances may pave the way for an even more conversational interface with it in the future. (TechCrunch) 
  • Super listeners: Your guide for developing fans who go deeper. (Spotify) 
  • Spotify has announced that subscription prices will rise in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East—but not in the US, its largest market. (Techcrunch)  
  • More than 74m unique viewers watched TikTok LIVE streams from Tomorrowland across both weekends, breaking its record for the biggest ever live event. (RotD) Tomorrowland content was viewed over 2.4bn times over the two weeks.
Live
  • Two people were killed and six wounded in a mass shooting in downtown Los Angeles early Monday after the Hard Summer music festival. (HR)  
  • Serbia’s EXIT Festival has launched a global crowdfunding campaign, Save EXIT Freedom, aimed at preserving its independence and core values following the total withdrawal of public funding and mounting pressures that now threaten the festival’s survival. (ExitFestival) 
Comment, Opinion and Analysis
  • Songs are getting longer again, despite TikTok - but why? (BBC - Mark Savage) 
  • NTIA commented on the Government’s Small Business Plan and late payment crackdown. (RotD) 
  • What is the value of a stream in 2025? (Midia) 
Beatport
  • X & Ivy: No Boxes, No Boundaries (Beatportal)
  • Burial returns to Hyperdub with 'Comafields / Imaginary Festival' (Beatportal)
  • Hype Label of the Month: WRONG. (Beatportal)
  • Rebūke drops hotly-anticipated debut album, 'World Of Era' (Beatportal)
  • Playlist of the Week: PhaseOne (Beatportal)
  • The Badger Blueprint: Memes, Madness, and Pure UKG Joy (Beatportal)
  • Speed up your music digging with Beatport DJ (Beatport)
Clubs
  • Ibiza:
    Hï Ibiza announces 2025 closing party line-up. (DJ) 
    Ibiza Rocks has reportedly stated that it plans to implement safety improvements following three recent deaths linked to balcony falls at the hotel and music venue. (Mixmag) 
  • SchwuZ, Berlin's longest-running LGBTQ+ venue, has declared insolvency during a challenging period for the German capital's club scene, pointing to dire economic circumstances. (Mixmag) 
  • Avant Gardner, the company behind the New York club Brooklyn Mirage, has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Billboard) 
Streams & Podcasts
  • RA.999 DJ Spinn & DJ Manny (RA) 
  • RA.999 Sonja Moonear & Margaret Dygas (RA) 
  • RA.999 Prosumer & Peach (RA) 
  • RA.999 1morning & Regal86 (RA) 
  • Lilly Palmer peak-time techno set live from DJ Mag HQ (DJ) 
  • Swedish House Mafia WE2 | Tomorrowland 2025 (Tomorrowland) 
  • Miss Monique WE2 | Tomorrowland 2025 (Tomorrowland) 
  • Martin Garrix WE2 | Tomorrowland 2025 (Tomorrowland) 
  • Amelie Lens WE2 | Tomorrowland 2025 (Tomorrowland) 
  • MATTN WE1 | Tomorrowland 2025 (Tomorrowland) 
  • Kölsch WE1 | Tomorrowland 2025 (Tomorrowland) 
  • Charlotte de Witte WE1 | Tomorrowland 2025 (Tomorrowland) 
  • David Guetta WE1 | Tomorrowland 2025 (Tomorrowland) 
Artist and Music Features
  • Recognise 089: Tasha (DJ) 
  • Jyoty: totally addicted (DJ) 
  • EarthPercent: can Ibiza’s club scene help protect its ecosystem? (DJ) 
  • Born amid a protest movement in 2000, 25 years later EXIT Festival has found itself caught between its foundational values and commercialisation, deciding to leave Serbia against a troubled backdrop and scrutiny from both the government and a new wave of protesters. Alice Austin reports from the final edition in Novi Sad. (Mixmag) 
  • The Guardian view on Berlin’s ailing club scene: a unique inheritance needs protecting. (Guardian) 
  • Olive F on Paradise in the City, Defected, and Ibiza magic. (ElectronicGroove) 
  • PinkPantheress is enjoying proving you wrong. (HR) 
  • Inside Eric Prydz's Holosphere 2.0, A show (and eventual tour) five years in the making. (Billboard) 
  • Iconic house music DJ and drag racer Carl Cox on dodging bullets on the dancefloor, overcoming grief and why he’s the fastest DJ on the planet. (iNews) 
  • An interview with Apple Music's Global Head of Dance and Electronic, Stephen Campbell. (Mixmag) 
Artist News
  • Calvin Harris and Vick Hope have announced the birth of their first child. (Billboard) 
  • A rare Daft Punk-branded skateboard developed by Cédric Hervet, the duo's longtime creative director and collaborator, has surfaced on the online market with a $15,000 price tag. (EDM) 
  • Swedish House Mafia invite artists to submit demos to SUPERHUMAN label site. (DJ) 
  • Alison Wonderland has announced her fourth studio album, 'Ghost World'. (EDM) 
  • Paul Kalkbrenner to release a new album on 10 October called The Essence. (RA) 
  • Italian DJ and producer Marco Dionigi has died aged 54. (RA) 
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About IMS

IMS: International Music Summit is a global educational and motivational thought-leadership platform dedicated to the continued development of electronic music primarily through the presentation of global summits for the industry. 

About Beatport

Beatport is the worldwide home of music for DJs, producers, and their fans. Founded in 2004, the Beatport family of companies includes Beatport, the preeminent store for electronic music DJs, Beatsource for the open-format DJ community, and Loopmasters, Loopcloud and Plugin Boutique for music producers. Follow us on Twitch, Facebook and Twitter, and Instagram.

About AFEM

AFEM: A global voice for electronic music; representing our culture and commerce. AFEM's membership spans all industry sectors, with over 250 company members across 25 countries, the organisation connects its worldwide membership to develop opportunities and enable change.

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