IMS Ibiza 2025

IMS Ibiza 2025: Day Two – Defining the Future While Honoring the Foundations

Day two of IMS Ibiza 2025 continued to blend forward-thinking dialogue with real-time reflection, as key players across the industry addressed technology, inclusion, artist development, and the cultural memory of electronic music.

The day opened with two critical sessions that set a serious tone.

First, the AFEM panel on Generative AI warned of the urgent legal and ethical challenges ahead. Speakers, including Alastair Webber, pushed back against proposals to allow AI models to train on copyrighted material without consent. “It's completely outrageous,” Webber said. The discussion pointed toward AFEM’s forthcoming AI Principles and new frameworks, like KOR Protocol, aimed at giving artists control over their data and digital identity.

Immediately following, HE.SHE.THEY.'s Brave Space hosted a session on trans inclusion in the music industry. Speakers including Sophia Kearney, Samantha Togni, and artist softchaos shared both policy goals and personal realities. “There are trans DJs being detained for doing their jobs,” softchaos said. The panel called for meaningful industry action — not statements, but protection and opportunity.

On the Summit Stage, the team behind John Summit’s rise to headlining Madison Square Garden broke down their approach to artist growth. From Wasserman Music and Metatone Management, they shared how momentum is managed — not just generated — across touring, socials, and team building.

Elsewhere, Andy Crysell traced the relationship between brands and club culture — from 1970s disco fashion to immersive partnerships with major electronic artists today. His talk, based on his book Selling The Night, framed brand involvement as both creative driver and commercial force.

The outdoor screen drew more engagement, while the new Favela Bar added atmosphere to poolside networking. A standout appearance came from Fat Tony, who delivered both wild stories and serious advice during the Crash and Burnsession on the pressures of success in nightlife and DJ culture. In one of the most candid moments of the day, Fat Tony reflects on life, addiction, and survival in nightlife. “Music is the best drug in the world,” he said. “You don’t need anything else as a DJ. Just get up there and do your job.”

In The Art of Areté, a session on tinnitus and hearing loss resonated deeply. Moderator Seb Wheeler and medical experts outlined preventative measures, reminding the audience that protecting your ears is foundational to a sustainable music career.

The day closed with an intergenerational exchange between DJ Flight and SHERELLE, touching on four decades of jungle and drum ’n’ bass, their shared experiences in radio, and the responsibility to honor the genre’s roots. “Respect the origins — but push the sound forward,” said Flight. The final panel brought things full circle, “When I was young, I had MTV and VH1,” said SHERELLE. “I was scared of The Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’ and thought Daft Punk were cartoons.” The conversation reminded the audience that today’s innovators stand on decades of underground legacy.

As IMS co-founder Ben Turner noted at the start of the week, “This summit isn’t just about music. It’s about ideas, people, and the values that hold our culture together.”

‍

As IMS Ibiza continues, the message is clear: to build the future, the industry must engage with both emerging technology and the lived realities of the communities that shaped the music.

‍