international conference and showcase festival

Buma Rotterdam Beats is a central meeting point for the whole range of urban music genres. The event takes place in the city of Rotterdam and features two-days of music conferences, workshops and open-mic sessions, the annual State Awards, plus a night time music festival across five of the city’s most exciting venues. The event is also dedicated to the discovery and promotion of upcoming local and national talent, acting as a focal point for Rotterdam and The Netherland’s best new artists.




Following in the footsteps of partner festivals Eurosonic Noorderslag and the Amsterdam Dance Event, Buma Rotterdam Beats aims to establish itself as the leading European platform within its genre group. At the second edition of Buma Rotterdam Beats in November 2011, 600 conference delegates from around the world came together to network, do business and exchange experience and knowledge. Alongside that, the nighttime festival attracted 3,200 people, with the total number of visitors increasing by 15% compared to the event's debut in 2010.

Artists and speakers included soul singer Charles Bradley, producer Om'Mas Keith, 50 Cent's DJ Whoo Kid, DJ Chuckie, Munchi, Action Bronson, Gers Pardoel, Kraantje Pappie and Sticks. Last year Buma Rotterdam Beats successfully placed itself at the centre of a growing international network for these globally-significant musical movements. The daytime event attracted bookers, publishers, managers and artists from both Holland and abroad who spoke about the most important topics and issues in their genres, closed deals, and  discovered new talents and trends.

Buma Rotterdam Beats is increasingly known as a place where new sounds and talents are discovered, with a significant feature of the second edition being the growing success Holland's tropical bass scene. One of the event's home-grown headliners - rapper Kraantje Pappie - has just released a widely praised debut LP,  he also managed to get booked at the Czech festival Hip Hop Kemp as a result of his roaring live performance in Rotterdam. British hiphop sensation Piff Gang declared that their performance at Buma Rotterdam Beats was ‘the highlight of the year’ in an interview with MTV. Being booked in Rotterdam also meant that the much talked-about London rappers had their first real breakthrough with an international audience.

The American rapper Action Bronson, performing for the first time in the Netherlands, was immediately offered new European bookings. The American music researcher and keynote speaker Wayne Marshall made contact with DJ Chuckie and other key figures who will contribute to his long-running scientific study of the Dutch roots of international club music.

The third edition of Buma Rotterdam Beats will once again be kicked-off by the annual Dutch State Awards, the highly regarded prize-giving gala organized by BNN and Buma. This year’s BRB program will consist of a combination of a vibrant and relevant industry conference, a festival, a talent program and various sub-programs, with the whole city acting as a stage.

Buma Rotterdam Beats is organized by the The Buma Rotterdam Beats Foundation, an initiative of Buma and De Nieuwe Oogst. Partners