This year’s theme, INTERGENERATIONAL EXCHANGE, is all about connecting different generations within the electronic music world. From seasoned pros to fresh talent, IMS Ibiza 2025 will foster collaboration and creative sparks by blending experience with bold new ideas. It’s shaping up to be a vibrant meeting of minds that dives deep into the past four decades to inspire the future.

One of the standout sessions, FOUR DECADES OF JUNGLE & DRUM ’N’ BASS: THE MCS TO THE OGS TO THE NEW BREED, will celebrate the genre’s journey from its jungle roots in the UK to its global reach today. Expect insights into how Drum & Bass has remained a powerful cultural force while looking at what’s next for the scene.

Another highlight is MARKET FOCUS: SPAIN – FROM FIESTAS TO ITS FUTURE, which takes a closer look at Spain’s rich musical history, its influence on international trends, and its role in shaping the next wave of festivals, talent, and creativity.

Other sessions to watch out for include:

• THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL NIGHTLIFE: A candid look at how nightlife can adapt to challenges like economic pressures and cultural shifts.

• THE SILENT EPIDEMIC: Breaking the stigma around tinnitus and hearing loss, while promoting ways to protect long-term hearing health.

• AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY: Exploring the growth of electronic music across Africa and how to engage with its markets ethically and sustainably.

• SHAPING THE FUTURE OF DANCE & ELECTRONIC LABELS: How labels are navigating a changing industry where DIY releases and short-term deals are the new norm.

• GET PLAYED, GET PAID: Hosted by AFEM, this session dives into the evolving rights and revenue landscape in the USA.

• MENTOR MATCHMAKING: A unique chance for young industry hopefuls to connect one-on-one with seasoned experts for advice, ideas, and collaboration.

The IMS Ibiza curation committee is responsible for shaping the summit’s programming, ensuring it stays relevant, engaging, and reflective of the ever-evolving music industry. This diverse group of industry leaders plays a crucial role in crafting an agenda that resonates with the global electronic music community.

The committee includes (in alphabetical order): Ben Turner (Co-Founder, IMS), Blaise DeAngelo (Co-Founder, The Art of Areté), Chloe Lula (Senior Producer, Resident Advisor), Danny Whittle (Co-Founder, IMS), Farah Nanji (Artist/Curation Manager, N1NJA/IMS), Grace Ladoja MBE (Co-Founder & CEO, Metallic Inc.), Jaguar (Co-Host/Broadcaster, IMS/BBC Radio One), Katie Sallows (General Manager, IMS), Kikelomo Oludemi (Artist), Pete Tong (Co-Founder/Broadcaster, IMS/BBC Radio One), Silvia Montello (CEO, Voicebox Consulting), Sofia Ilyas (Chief Community Officer, Beatport), Sophia Kearney (Co-Founder, HE.SHE.THEY.), Steven Braines (Co-Founder, HE.SHE.THEY.), and Tracie Storey aka Tensuhi (Vibrational Sound Practitioner, Qigong Teacher & Sound Designer).

The summit takes place over three days at the stunning Mondrian Ibiza and Hyde Ibiza hotels in Cala Llonga. These venues, exclusively reserved for delegates, offer a relaxed yet vibrant setting perfect for networking, discussions, and unwinding. Located just 10 minutes from Ibiza Town, they’re surrounded by breathtaking views of the Mediterranean and peaceful nature trails—ideal for recharging between sessions.

As part of its ongoing commitment to the planet, IMS Ibiza 2025 is teaming up again with EarthPercent, co-founded by Brian Eno. A portion of badge sales and sponsorship fees will support impactful climate and biodiversity projects, so every attendee will be contributing to a greener future.

And of course, it wouldn’t be IMS Ibiza without the iconic closing party at Dalt Vila, where delegates can enjoy one of the island’s most unforgettable nights. Delegate badges, student discounts, and accommodation packages are available now on the IMS website, including special rates for under-27s and students. Contact info@internationalmusicsummit.com for more information

For more information and to get your pass for this year’s IMS Ibiza click the link here

The post IMS Ibiza 2025 Announces Programming and Speaker Nominations for Its 16th Edition appeared first on Data Transmission.

Social media—especially live event footage—plays a huge role in discovering and promoting new talent, but only when the artists behind the music are properly credited.

The campaign’s organisers believe that now is the right time for the industry to embrace a new standard of transparency and respect when crediting others’ work. They’ve outlined best practices that are already backed by major names in the industry, including DJ/Producer Mason, BAM! Popauteurs, fabric, Mobilee, Glasgow Underground, Good Company, Buma/Stemra, Data Transmission, Neighbourhood, LabelWorx, Your Army, and Aslice.

In a passionate keynote speech at IMS Ibiza, Dutch DJ and producer Frank Nitzinsky highlighted some key stats: on average, only 3% of a DJ’s set is music they’ve personally produced, and a whopping 90% of DJ content shared on Instagram doesn’t credit the music being played. These emotional, high-energy video clips are the backbone of marketing campaigns for artists, labels, promoters, and more, often reaching millions of potential fans. Yet without proper credit, it’s only the DJ or the account posting the video that benefits—not the original creator of the track.

That’s where the #RespectTheCreators campaign comes in. Its goal is to educate artists, fans, and industry pros about the importance of giving credit where it’s due across social media.

So why isn’t music being credited? The reasons range from simple apathy or ignorance to the old-school DJ mindset of keeping the best tracks a secret. But the campaign’s organisers argue that respect for other creators has always been part of electronic music culture—and it’s time that this respect extends to social media, too.

The campaign stresses that a healthy music ecosystem relies on supporting talent from the ground up and that artists have a fundamental right to be recognized for their work. DJ culture can’t be the exception—whether you’re a creator or a curator, there’s a shared responsibility here.

Whether it’s using tools on platforms like Instagram and Facebook to tag the music via stickers or simply including the artist and song title in your post’s caption, the campaign urges everyone in the industry to think about how they can respect the creators of the music they love every time they post online.

So, how can you #RespectTheCreators?

It’s easy:

• DJs: When you share a video from a gig or mix, and the music isn’t yours, tag the artists and list the track names prominently.

• Online Platforms: Ensure track lists are clearly visible below videos or audio content.

• Promoters: Make sure the music featured in your event promotions gets credited.

The post How the #RespectTheCreators Campaign is Changing the Music Scene appeared first on Data Transmission.

Music Connects Us: Mental Health & Electronic Music Report is a free report and resource that includes insight from artists including:  Kaskade, Louisahhh, Scuba, Ben Rau, Sarah Story, Junior Sanchez and Yousef.  The report also has contributions from leading researchers and mental health experts including Dr. Aida Vazin (AFEM), Tristan Hunt (AFEM), Ari Peralta (Arigami) and industry innovators Tom Middleton, George TakTak (How Mental), Belinda Matwali (Listen Up Therapy) and Bradley Dowding-Young (Silentmode).

Back in November, 2020, Beatport hosted a special edition of its successful global streaming series, ReConnect, bringing the topic of mental health to the center stage of the electronic music community by curating a mix of DJ sessions with educational expert roundtables and live breathwork sessions. In parallel, Beatport developed a research survey with Arigami, AFEM and Silentmode to better understand artists’ needs and struggles during these unprecedented times. Artists from all over the world were invited to take part and share their perspectives on the impact of the pandemic on their lives.

Music continues to be the ‘go to’ for our mental health needs. According to our research, 72% of respondents shared that listening to music, performing fitness activities or practicing meditation have been their top supportive tool in keeping up with their mental health.

“These are trying times for our industry. Now more than ever taking care of ourselves – our minds, our wellbeing and, the wellbeing of others – is truly vital. Mental health has been one of the most talked about topics in our industry for years, and this is a global topic that should continue to be discussed and destigmatized. Everyone at Beatport takes this topic very seriously and will continue to bring visibility to it.” – Beatport’s CEO, Robb McDaniels

Music is the sound of our emotions. We can give our feelings a tune and find a way to tune in to another feeling. “Sometimes we may need some form of action or inaction (meditation or breathwork) to facilitate emotional relief.” – said Dr. Aida Vazin – (AFEM Health Group Co-Chair), a licensed psychotherapist, who is working with the US senate on ways to develop scalable tools that support mental health needs with music and therapy. 

“Electronic music is a great supporter in setting the right mood for coping tools and can be viewed as ‘functional sound enhancement’. While Meditation is a great practice, not everyone has the same discipline to sit still. We can’t give up on billions of people who need extra support! Music helps revert our racing thoughts to our breath, music can help us sit with our discomfort and allow the body to regulate through stillness and inaction.” – Ari Peralta, Arigami Founding Partner

Since 2014, there has been a noticeable decrease in global life expectancy. A large factor in this decline is called the ‘disease of despair’. This phenomenon displays the connection between increased hopelessness and depression, suicide/suicidal thoughts, and alcohol/drug related diseases.

“Functional music can help to transition the mind between work/focus and home/relax/sleep modes, to bookend and soundtrack the day with mentally, physically and emotionally useful sound.” – Functional and Wellness Music Pioneer, and Electronic Artist Tom Middleton

“Music is a powerful tool to get comfortable with stillness and containment. Mastering self awareness and emotional intelligence can help us feel safe in our bodies and become more present. At Silentmode we are committed to making support tools such as breathwork, accessible to all, including those who prefer to get in the zone with electronic music.” – Bradley-Dowding Young, CEO & Founder, Silentmode and Breathonics.

Learn more about the report, survey findings and support tools at www.musicconnectsus.co.uk

Watch a discussion about the report between ArI Peralta (Arigami), Dr. Aida Vazin (AFEM) and Tristan Hunt (AFEM) below!

The post Beatport and Arigami release “Music Connects Us” appeared first on Data Transmission.

The data-led approach, encourages anyone who has experienced harassment, bias or discrimination while working in the electronic music industry to take a moment to log details through the InChorus anonymous reporting tool. 

As the lead partner, Pioneer DJ’s General Manager, Mark Grotefeld commented, “Diversity and inclusion are key priorities for Pioneer DJ. We are proud to support the Electronic Music Inclusion Initiative in order to push for systemic change across the industry. We hope this will continue the progress and empower individuals to share their experiences of bias and harassment and encourage the industry to adopt robust listening tools that enable targeted action and progress”.

As a general observation, there is a lack of data around these challenges, particularly looking beyond gender or when considering an intersectional approach. 

•  DJ Mag Top 100 list in 2019, only 5 of the top 100 were women – in 2020, there were 14
• In the Top 150 clubs, the annual percentage of female DJs is 6% 
• According to a study done by the Annenberg Institute, women make up less than 3% of production and technical roles in the music industry, and women of colour hold less than 0.3% of those jobs. 
• Mixmag Blackout feature https://mixmag.net/feature/exploitation-black-women-vocalists-house-music
• Thump revealed that in 2016 only 17% of headliners at electronic music festivals were female 
• FACTS Survey 2020, nearly 400 festival editions from around the world spanning the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 were surveyed. For festivals spanning the years 2012 to 2019, 17.3% of all acts were female acts, 74% were male, 6.9% were mixed acts, and 1.5% were unidentified.
• There are no women on the Forbes 2019 list of highest paid DJs. In fact, since Forbes started tracking DJs in 2012 not a single female act has appeared on the ranking.
• Women are 11 times more likely than men to feel in a minority because of their gender, with women making up 88% of those selecting ‘gender’ as the reason for their minority status against 8% of men.

This first step, to collect experiences over the next 4 weeks, is designed to provide new insights on the issues within our culture and inform the next steps we can collectively take as an industry to address them. 

Head here: https://electronicmusic.inchorus.org/

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Beatport, the world’s leading destination for electronic music, today announced that its 34-hour live stream “ReConnect” in partnership with Twitch, raised more than $180,000 for the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, and the AFEM Members’ COVID-19 Hardship Fund.

Set up specifically to administer donations from this event to help struggling AFEM member companies retain lower-earning workers who would otherwise be let go, and to direct funds to individuals within the membership in most need of urgent financial help. Donations are still being accepted here: https://tiltify.com/@beatport/reconnect

Carl Cox, Bonobo, Pete Tong, Nina Kraviz, Griz, RÜFÜS DU SOL, A-Trak, Nicole Moudaber, Chris Liebing, ANNA, Nora En Pure all played on the streams.

Robb McDaniels, Beatport’s CEO. “The generosity of our entire community, including so many great industry partners that donated products to give away, is what resulted in a large donation to two non-profits that can ensure the health and stability of our world and our industry in the months to come.”

Rewatch all the sets on Youtube – https://bit.ly/3bwAJ9G

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The Association for Electronic Music (AFEM) has launched a confidential sexual harassment support service for everyone in the electronic music industry.

The Association for Electronic Music is the global trade body for the genre representing the interests of record labels, blogs, managers, promoters, publishers, clubs and all other companies whose business is electronic music.  They’ve identified the Electronic music industry needs trained support for victims of sexual harassment within the society, so they’ve teamed up with Health Assured to bring this service.

Mark Lawrence AFEM CEO: “Since its formation, AFEM has championed equality and inclusion as vital foundations of our industry and we unequivocally condemn sexual abuse and harassment of any kind. To step forward as a victim of abuse or harassment takes immense courage and we will support all who need help and guidance.

We are working with our 150 plus members on how to unite as an industry against all forms of abuse and AFEM directs anyone who has been affected by abuse or harassment to an industry specific and confidential service operated by Health Assured on 0800 030 5182, (Outside the UK: +44 800 030 5182) where trained experts will listen and support.

This is a pivotal moment for society, industry and inclusivity and we must ensure that every opportunity is taken to support all victims. It is time to build a safe and supportive environment for everyone whatever their gender, ethnicity, sexual preference and age. “

The post The AFEM launches confidential sexual harassment support service appeared first on Data Transmission.

Celebrating a landmark ten year anniversary this year in May, The International Music Summit (IMS) in Ibiza once again brought forward some of the key issues facing the electronic music industry in 2017.

Chief amongst these are the gender imbalances in studios and on festival / party line-ups (only 17% of festival headliners are female and only 5% of producers). Smirnoff Sound Collective has announced their ‘Equalising Music’ Initiative, to try and set about addressing the issue head on and has committed to doubling the number of female headliners by 2020, supported by a committee including representatives from IMS, AFEM and SheSaid.So.

“At and with International Music Summit we were keen to get to the bottom of this deep-rooted disparity issue and develop a long term and ongoing plan to help balance the ratio,” said Leila Fataar, Head of Culture & Entertainment at Diageo. “By connecting our Smirnoff Sound Collective platform with the IMS we have brought together some of the most forward-thinking people in the industry with a clear objective: finding solutions to gender disparity in Electronic Music. From on-going conversations with key people from the industry, it is clear that there is not a one fix-all solution. Instead a variety important steps need to be taken – from grassroots to executive level, from single people to corporate companies, it will take the industry as a whole to sort this. We, as Smirnoff are open to and will support breaking ideas and initiatives from DJs, companies, media, labels, individual players, managers, bookers and many other people involved in the scene to shape a plan together. More details soon.”

The post Smirnoff Sound Collective announces its ‘Equalising Music’ Initiative appeared first on Data Transmission.

Brighton Music Conference (BMC), has revealed the dates for its 2017 edition, taking over the Brighton Dome for the two-day conference on 27^th & 28^th April 2017.

BMC16 saw attendance substantially increase once again, attracting thousands of industry professionals and those looking to make a career within the music business. BMC16 talks and panels featured speakers from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, Vine, Spotify, Kobalt, Native Instruments, Beatport, Coda, AFEM, NTIA, Mixcloud, Toolroom, Hospital, Believe Digital, Pioneer, Korg, Roland, PRS, BIMM, AEI Media, Shogun Audio, GAK Audio, Wunderground, and many more, with the conference programme split between the professional and academy theatres.

BMC17 will bring together Industry-leading delegates and speakers at over 50 talks, seminars and workshops, alongside networking events throughout the conference duration. BMC Professional connects music with business, bringing together industry thought leaders through a series of panels to discuss the future sustainable growth of the Electronic Music Industry. BMC Academy is about plugging in the next generation and fostering new talent via a series of master classes, panels and talks.

Both tickets give access to the two-day exhibition featuring tech showcases, panels and interviews. Club nights hosting world-class artists and DJs at the city’s finest venues will take place across Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

The first conference programme details will be revealed soon.

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Following a hugely successful second year, Brighton Music Conference (BMC) has announced the dates for its 2016 event. BMC 2016 will take place on Thursday 14th April and Friday 15th April (the event took place temporarily in June this year due to venue tenancies at Brighton’s Dome).

BMC 2015 saw the number of professional delegates increase by over 30%, and the conference welcomed representatives from YouTube, BPI, Kiss, Beatport, DJ Mag, Music Week, Kobalt, Defected Records, Coda, Ibiza Rocks, Back To Basics, Native Instruments, Involved management, Dave Clarke, BBC Radio 1/BBC 1Xtra, Ableton, AFEM, Novation, Hospital Records, Icicle, Robert Owens, Mobilee, BIMM, Point Blank, PRS For Music, PPL, AIM, MPA, Access to Music, Youth Music, SoundCity Brighton & Hove, and many more.

Highlights from the 2015 event’s BMC Professional programme, which included partners AFEM, BPI, MPA and Beatport, were the BMC Keynote ‘Protecting the Dance Floor’, hosted by AFEM Director Mark Lawrence and featuring Stuart Knight Director of Toolroom Records, and the NTIA’s chairman, Alan D Miller; Beatport’s UK label seminar, The Big Stream Debate; and Innovation / Inspiration: new revenue streams.

The BMC Academy programme, with Academy Education Partners BPI, PPL, PRS for Music, Pointblank, BIMM, Access To Music, and Northbrook College, saw capacity attendances on both days for talks including the Q+A session with Terry Weerasinghe (Vice President of Music Services at Beatport); YouTube’s Academy workshop; and BIMM presents: how to start a label.

The exhibition floor featured over 50 exhibitors, and saw a number of exclusives from Novation, Native Instruments, Audio Labs, Steinberg/Cubase, Funktion One, FBT Audio, and JAMM, while Ableton hosted training sessions, workshops and panels.

BMC’s tech education partners included Ableton, Native Instruments, Focusrite, Native Instruments, Audio Technica, and Pioneer DJ. Novation held an intimate tech showcase with Paul Hartnoll of Orbital.

Events took place across the city, with clubs and venues involved including the recently opened Patterns, Neighbourhood, The Tempest Inn, The Arch, The Hub, and beyond, Access to Music hosted the first official BMC Under 18s party, and Audio Active and Soundcity Brighton & Hove presented an emerging local talent showcase.

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