Last week at IMS Ibiza, MIDiA Research's Mark Mulligan presented the annual\nElectronic Music Business Report. The industry grew 7% in 2025. Most of the\nfindings are aimed at labels and investors, but a few of them matter directly to\nindependent artists.
\nPublishing revenues grew faster than streaming in 2025
\nRecorded music revenues grew by 9% last year, but publishing revenues outpaced\nthem at 11%. Publishing covers the money generated when your compositions are\nplayed, licensed, or used commercially, separate from the master recording revenue\nyou earn on Spotify or Apple Music.
\nFor independent artists who write and produce their own material, this is often\nuncollected revenue. Registering with a Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) is\nstraightforward: ASCAP or BMI in the US, PRS in the UK, SACEM in France. Once\nregistered, every sync placement, every DJ set in a licensed venue, and every stream\non a licensed platform generates money that reaches you directly. Distributors like\nDistroKid and TuneCore both offer publishing administration add-ons that handle\ncollection across territories automatically.
\nTikTok and SoundCloud are the top discovery platforms for electronic\nmusic
\nThe report names TikTok and SoundCloud specifically as the leading engines for\nelectronic music discovery, with hashtags and scenes growing at pace on both.\nElectronic music's visual and performance-led nature translates well into short-form\nenvironments, and communities on both platforms are actively driving listeners toward new artists.
\nSoundCloud in particular functions differently from major DSPs. Discovery is\ncommunity-driven, and reposts from active accounts in your genre still move the needle in ways that algorithmic playlisting doesn't replicate. For electronic artists, staying active there alongside your major DSP releases is worth factoring into your rollout strategy.
","excerpt":"Last week at IMS Ibiza, MIDiA Research's Mark Mulligan presented the annual\nElectronic Music Business Report. The industry grew 7% in 202…"}}},{"__typename":"DatoCmsBlogBodyImageBlock"},{"__typename":"DatoCmsBlogContentSingleColumnBlock","id":"DatoCmsBlogContentSingleColumnBlock-VMMIE59tSX6J62FrbhyJLg-en","contentNode":{"childMarkdownRemark":{"html":"Afro House is one of the fastest-growing genres on production\nplatforms
\nTech House held its position as the top-selling genre on Beatport for another\nconsecutive year. But Afro House emerged as one of the most dynamic growth areas in\n2025, rising rapidly across Splice and other creator platforms. It reflects a broader shift toward globally influenced, hybrid sounds, one that's visible in the sample packs and presets gaining traction on the platforms many producers already use daily.
\n18% of all catalogue acquisitions in 2025 were for electronic artists
\nInvestors are increasingly focused on newer electronic music catalogues, drawn by\nlong-term streaming upside and younger fanbases. While catalogue sales are typically\nthe concern of more established artists, it's a useful reminder that the music you're releasing now has long-term value. Keeping your metadata clean, your ownership documented, and your publishing registered from the start puts you in a stronger position down the line.
\nAI will be disruptive, but electronic music is used to adapting
\nThe report addresses AI directly. IMS co-founder Ben Turner acknowledged the\ndisruption ahead, but framed it in context:
\n\n\n“Electronic music was built on new technology and on a willingness to move with\nit. That instinct still runs through the culture today.”
\n
For independent artists, the practical question is less about taking a position on AI and more about staying engaged with how your existing tools are evolving. DAW plugins and production platforms are increasingly integrating AI-assisted features, and understanding what they do and whether they fit your workflow is part of staying current as a producer.
\nBeyond these specific findings, the broader picture is one of a genre in good health. Electronic music added 0.6 billion new fans across platforms in 2025 and now ranks as a top three genre in nearly all of its leading markets. As Mark Mulligan of MIDiA Research noted, the escapist role of the dancefloor has never been more important,and the numbers back that up.
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