Welcome to the first inthemix Power 50 – the 50 most powerful people in EDM globally. To compile this inaugural list, we conducted an exhaustive process that included speaking to many of the industry’s key figures to help us form a view on where the foundations of power in EDM exist. Not over the course of history, but right now, today, in 2013. The list is peppered with quotes, both attributed and anonymous, from the people who helped guide the construction of this year’s inthemix Power 50.
It’s worth noting this list is not about DJs or artists. Sure, there are some names like Gary Richards and Pete Tong who do make music, but they’re included because we believe their DJing is secondary to their business interests.
So why this list? Why now?
America has woken up to dance music. EDM is suddenly big business. EDM events are some of the most lucrative and fastest growing on the planet. In a recent study of over a million people by EMI, they estimated there were 73 million EDM fans in America alone, an increase of nine million on the previous year. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about events. According to Nielsen Soundscan, of the five most popular genres of music worldwide in 2012, in terms of total tracks sold, the fastest-growing was Dance/Electronic, with sales surging 35.6%. As the Wall Street Journal put it: “Music’s centre of gravity is shifting again. Like rap and disco before it, the latest surge is electronic music.”
Big business has woken up too. The EDM arms race is well and truly underway. At time of writing, SFX’s purchase of Beatport has been made official, and rumours swirl of the imminent completion of some key acquisitions in the festival space by both Live Nation and SFX, the most prized being Insomniac Events.
So what better time than now, to mark this momentous time in the history of the music we know and love? For many of us who have committed our lives and careers to EDM, this is a golden period when there is the potential to realise your dreams and get the recognition that the industry thoroughly deserves. The spotlight burns brightly on the incredible artistic talent in EDM, but we rarely peek behind the curtain to see the deal-makers at work.
This list marks the start of inthemix.com’s global expansion. From humble beginnings in Australia, inthemix has grown into one of the world’s biggest and most influential EDM communities and content platforms online, viewed by over six million unique visitors in the last year.
Our vision is to unite the industry behind a legitimate, trusted and influential media platform that elevates the quality of conversation around all things EDM.
We look forward to providing the global EDM community with a central home and an independent, credible voice online. So come with us on a journey, as inthemix takes you ‘inside EDM’.
So why this list? Why now?
America has woken up to dance music. EDM is suddenly big business. EDM events are some of the most lucrative and fastest growing on the planet. In a recent study of over a million people by EMI, they estimated there were 73 million EDM fans in America alone, an increase of nine million on the previous year. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about events. According to Nielsen Soundscan, of the five most popular genres of music worldwide in 2012, in terms of total tracks sold, the fastest-growing was Dance/Electronic, with sales surging 35.6%. As the Wall Street Journal put it: “Music’s centre of gravity is shifting again. Like rap and disco before it, the latest surge is electronic music.”
Big business has woken up too. The EDM arms race is well and truly underway. At time of writing, SFX’s purchase of Beatport has been made official, and rumours swirl of the imminent completion of some key acquisitions in the festival space by both Live Nation and SFX, the most prized being Insomniac Events.
So what better time than now, to mark this momentous time in the history of the music we know and love? For many of us who have committed our lives and careers to EDM, this is a golden period when there is the potential to realise your dreams and get the recognition that the industry thoroughly deserves. The spotlight burns brightly on the incredible artistic talent in EDM, but we rarely peek behind the curtain to see the deal-makers at work.
This list marks the start of inthemix.com’s global expansion. From humble beginnings in Australia, inthemix has grown into one of the world’s biggest and most influential EDM communities and content platforms online, viewed by over six million unique visitors in the last year.
Our vision is to unite the industry behind a legitimate, trusted and influential media platform that elevates the quality of conversation around all things EDM.
We look forward to providing the global EDM community with a central home and an independent, credible voice online. So come with us on a journey, as inthemix takes you ‘inside EDM’.
Introducing, the inthemix Power 50 —- HERE
