IMS Industry Insider

05 May 2026

Business

Primary Wave officially closed a $2.2bn fourth fund, calling it ‘the largest dedicated closed-end music royalties fund raised to date in the industry’. (DMN)
Spotify shares fell 13.7% after it forecast weaker subscriber growth and profits, raising concerns that price rises may deter customers. (Variety)
BMG and Concord are to merge, with the new company taking on the BMG name, and individual BMG Publishing and Concord Records divisions sitting within it. BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld will serve as chairman while Concord's Bob Valentine will be CEO. (RotD)
Universal Music Group reported €2.9bn in revenue for the first financial quarter, flat year-on-year though an 8.1% increase when measured in constant currency. (PRNewswire)

News and Features

The number of "phone-free" events increased by around 567% globally last year, a new study from Eventbrite has revealed. (Mixmag)
Symphonic, a music technology and services company for independent labels, managers, and artists, announced the launch of Symphonic NEXT, a new initiative designed to connect clients with the capital, partnerships, and strategic pathways needed to grow and monetise their businesses. (RotD)
IMS 2026:
Key takeaways from IMS 2026 (Attack)
IMS 2026: Reclaim the Dancefloor (Inflyte)

Digital

2026’s first three months saw YouTube Music and Premium post their “largest quarterly increase in the total number of non-trial subscribers” since launching. (DMN)
As AI-generated artists and tracks flood music streaming platforms, Spotify is rolling out a new 'Verified by Spotify' badge to help listeners more easily identify authentic human artists. (Spotify)
Believe and its global platform for self-releasing artists, TuneCore, are automatically blocking the distribution of AI-generated tracks partly or fully produced on unlicensed “pirate studios”. (MBW) Believe has also signed new music licensing agreements with two notable Gen-AI companies: ElevenLabs and Udio.

Live

AMF 2026 lineup unveiled with stars David Guetta, Armin van Buuren and many more. (EDMTunes)
EXIT Festival moves to Montenegro for summer 2026 edition. (909Originals)
Boomtown 2026 announces new HYDRO XL stage and line-up. (Skiddle)

Comment, Opinion and Analysis

Roblox, social media, and the future of AI integration. (Midia - Hanna Kahlert)

Tech

Moog announces limited-edition Minimoog Model D. (DJ Mag)

Clubs

Ibiza:
KETTAMA will lead Steel City Dance Disc’s upcoming nine-week residency at Amnesia Ibiza. (DJ Mag)
Factory Town locks in Zedd, Rampa, and Martin Garrix for Miami F1 Weekend. (Magnetic)

Deals

Mute Song announced a worldwide publishing agreement with Richard Fearless of Death in Vegas, covering the DiV catalogue, his solo work and compositions by artists on his record label Drone. (RotD)

Streams & Podcasts

Inside SXM Festival: From Acid House to SXM Festival, Burning Man & Building All Day I Dream (Loud&Unfiltered)

Artist and Music Features

Garde Records: Building momentum across the global electronic landscape. (Magnetic)
Max Porcelli talks identity, craft, and the road to 989 Records’ 20-year milestone. (Magnetic)
Carl Cox: "The Arches was my home - it's still a loss to Glasgow" (BBC)
An idiot’s guide to music AI companies. (Pitchfork)
Artists relying on "link-in-bio" tools risk losing real live booking opportunities because these are built for fan discovery, not professional communications. (Hypebot)
Mum’s the word: changing the tune on motherhood in dance music. (DJ Mag)

Artist News

Subtronics is the most stress-relieving electronic artist in America, according to new study. (EDM)
Chase & Status to feature as characters in new James Bond game, 007: First Light. (Mixmag)
Nia Archives to host Up Ya Archives takeover at London's V&A East museum. (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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Record of the Day has produced a subscription-based daily publication for the music industry for over 23 years, featuring all the best news and comment, along with an editorially-chosen future hit. Sign up for a free trial here.
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