AI in Electronic Music: Full House, Open Conversation 

During ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) 2025, BumaStemra and ADE hosted a panel on the role of AI in electronic music. What began as a conversation about creative possibilities evolved into fundamental questions about authenticity, ownership, and the future of music rights. 

How does AI relate to the creative process? Do you fully embrace it, use it selectively, or consciously keep your distance? During ADE PRO, we explored these questions together with artists and experts. 

Different Perspectives 

The panel brought together various perspectives representing the full breadth of the AI debate: from producers who have fully integrated AI into their workflow to creators raising critical considerations. 

Portrait XO, Eelke Kleijn, and Sundar Arvind (Mozart AI) shared their hands-on experiences, while Michiel Laan (CCO and AI Taskforce Chair at BumaStemra) addressed the financial implications for creators. Moderator Terry Tyldesley guided the conversation through themes such as authenticity, ownership, and the question of which creative processes must remain human. 

Eelke Kleijn highlighted his ambivalence toward AI, both from his perspective as an artist and from his role as a label owner. Portrait XO discussed how she deploys AI responsibly and how AI is already impacting the skills needed to develop one’s creativity. Sundar Arvind explained how Mozart AI aims to democratize music creation. 

It became an open conversation exploring how the preservation of artistic authenticity can coexist with AI applications. No fixed answers, but rather an exploration of where EDM (electronic dance music) is heading—and what choices creators can make in that journey. 

Navigating Together 

For BumaStemra, this panel is part of a broader dialogue. AI touches the core of what we do. Michiel Laan, Chair of the AI Taskforce at BumaStemra, addressed the legal dimensions: “The current rights framework is built for human creators. AI-generated or AI-assisted music calls for new agreements on: 

• Tracking and registration: how do we make transparent what role AI played? 

• Royalty distribution: according to which principles do we compensate work involving AI? 

• Ownership questions: where lies the boundary between ‘tool’ and ‘co-creator’? A rights holder must always be able to say ‘no’.” 

These aren’t simple theoretical issues. They determine how creators are fairly compensated for their work today and in the future. At BumaStemra, we consistently work with our partners to find the right balance, so that human creativity continues to be rewarded in the future—at a time when it’s already challenging for many composers, writers, and publishers to earn a decent income from their work. 

BumaStemra helps its members navigate these considerations by informing them via this page. 

The Dialogue Continues 

The conversation doesn’t stop after ADE. As BumaStemra, we continue to monitor all developments and provide space for different perspectives. The questions raised—about authenticity, ownership, compensation, and ethics—require an ongoing dialogue. With creators, with the industry, with policymakers. Through our AI page, we keep our members informed. 

About this panel: A collaboration between BumaStemra and Amsterdam Dance Event, part of the ADE PRO program 2025. With thanks to all participants for their openness and insights.