#Armin van Buuren’s Armada Label Readies $100M Fund to Acquire Dance Music Catalogs

Independent dance label Armada Music — founded in 2003 by Dutch trance DJ and producer Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron and manager and agent David Lewis — has launched Beat (for “Best Ever Acquired Tracks”), a dance music investment company. 

Backed by U.S.-based Pinnacle Financial Partners, the fund plans to invest $100 million in its first two years, with the mission of “acquiring and exploiting recording and music publishing catalogs” amid a flurry of catalog deals across the music sector in recent years. Beat eventually plans to grow its investment to at least $500 million in the coming years. 

The investment company’s first acquisitions include two big names. They are for KMS Records’ master recordings catalog from house and techno legend Kevin Saunderson, as well as for the master and publishing catalog of L.A.-based Russian trance DJ and producer Arty, also known as Alpha 9. “Both catalogs of masters will be globally distributed by Armada Music (Armada Distribution),” Armada said without providing further financial details.

Saunderson is one of the U.S. legends credited with inventing Detroit techno. KMS has been a staple label in the techno scene for more than 30 years. Its catalog includes iconic tracks from Saunderson and his group Inner City, known for global hits “Good Life” and “Big Fun.” Arty’s hits include “Sunrise,” “Save Me Tonight,” “Craving” with Audien and Ellee Duke, as well as “Take Your Time.”

The electronic dance music (EDM) market is expected to grow to nearly $9.7 billion in 2023, according to estimates from research organization Future Market Insights. Armada, which says it is the biggest independent dance music label in the world, is headquartered in Amsterdam, with offices in New York and London. It already has a history of acquiring catalogs from artists, specific songs and dance labels, such as Dutch outfits Midtown Records, United Recordings and Combined Forces.

Armada said its CEO Piron, known as one of the most influential people in the electronic music business, created Beat as “an artist-friendly vehicle to unlock value from recordings and copyrights within the dance arena after being pursued by numerous investors as part of the rapidly growing appetite for music catalogs.”

The label also said that the investment vehicle not only makes business sense, but also fits into its love for dance music, with the firm mentioning the hope to “breathe new life into classic dance hits.” Said Piron: “It’s a privilege to be working with the tracks that sparked my passion for dance music at an early age. That passion is still there, and it’s incredibly rewarding to bolster the legacy of major dance hits.” He added: “We’re super excited to bring in more incredible labels, artists and songs to boost and complement our current catalog of 40,000 tracks.”

Armada says it “represents and cultivates the creative exploits of some of the biggest players in the electronic music game,” including van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Audien, Brando, Cat Dealers, D.O.D., Jan Blomqvist, Loud Luxury and Tensnake. Its artist roster also includes the likes of Cedric Gervais and Chicane. “Through this star-studded dance music army, Armada Music collects over 500 million streams per month,” it says.

Pinnacle Financial held $42 billion in assets as of the end of 2022. It operates in 20 primarily urban markets across the Southeastern U.S., in addition to operating nationally and internationally in key specialty areas, such as music, entertainment and sports. Said Brett Ross, senior vp of music, sports and entertainment at Pinnacle: “To be able to partner with Armada Music during their 20th anniversary is a testament to their leadership, passion and continued support of dance music.” That, along with the opportunities presented by Beat, “resonated perfectly with Pinnacle and our goal of supporting creative communities across the globe.”

Investment bank Artisan acted as an advisor to Armada Music on the financing of Beat and will continue to work with the company going forward. “Armada Music is truly a leader in dance music, and we’re thrilled to work with them as they continue to build upon their incredible platform,” said Artisan founder and managing partner Brian Richards.