Ivo Adelaar | Music Industry Founder and Label Director

The short version

As an artist I saw the front of the house; at Revealed, Hardwell's label, I learned the machinery behind it. In 2018 my father played me one of his piano recordings, and the company that grew from that moment now runs two labels, a studio, and evenings where music is played to people in a room.

The full story

The companies

01

An electronic label of original records and reworks, made for flow and momentum rather than quiet.Founder and label directorView company 02

A piano label and listening world for focus, rest and connection, started with a recording by Ivo’s father.FounderView company 03

Piano education designed to make learning and playing feel more direct, musical and human.Co-founderView company

The paths

Above the line, the artistBelow it, the label

A young Ivo Adelaar and a friend behind a mixer at a drive-in show, headphones round his neck — The first drive-in show2008

A young Ivo Adelaar at the Pioneer decks in the V-Radio studio — The first radio interview, V-RadioOn air as Vida, the name I released under.Vida on Spotify2009

Ivo Adelaar's first press picture, holding a CD — The first press picture2010

The first home studio in the garage at night: a monitor running a music program, a MIDI keyboard, studio monitors and racks of CDs — The garage studio, shared with my fatherHis desk faced mine from the other side of the room, and the piano stood on the long wall between us.2012

A teenage Ivo Adelaar behind a grand piano with recording microphones set inside the open lid — Piano into the recordsPutting the piano and the melody into what I released as Vida. The progressive house sound came out of that.2014

A young Ivo Adelaar smiling with headphones on behind a FunX microphone during an early radio interview — Interviewed on FunXThe Dutch radio station, on the music I was making.2014

Ivo Adelaar as Vida behind the decks under the bulb ceiling of Jimmy Woo in Amsterdam, one arm raised, an MC on the microphone beside him — Nights at AIR and Jimmy Woo, Amsterdam2014

Ivo Adelaar playing to a crowd at Club AIR in Amsterdam, arm out under the stage lights — Nights at AIR and Jimmy Woo, Amsterdam2014

Ivo Adelaar teaching a production masterclass in Miami, pointing at a projected day schedule under the Vida and NLDJ logos, students seated at laptops — Teaching the production masterclass in MiamiI gave it myself, as Vida. There I sat down with Mattijs van Welzenis, who offered me an internship. The week after, it was settled at the Revealed office, and I started that May.2016

The last release lands in the Tomorrowland aftermovieWhite Flags, eighteen minutes in. The last thing I put out as an artist.Hear it in the aftermovie2016

A crowded bar in Breda, the Revealed team and much of the Dutch dance scene packed into one black and white group photograph — First week at RevealedA team outing to a bar in Breda. Most of the Dutch dance scene was in the room that night.2016

Ivo Adelaar in a Revealed Recordings crew jacket at a label event, seen from behind against the window light — The Revealed years2016 to 2020

Underneath both, the whole time

For as long as I have existed, my father has played the piano.

My father plays me one of his recordings2018

The programme screen for an ADE MusicTalk panel listing Ivo Adelaar of Revealed Recordings — Speaking for the label: ADE MusicTalk, Mumbai2019

I start releasing his piano works myselfEnd of 2019

A panel in Kuala Lumpur discussing the business model of record labels — The Business Model of Record Labels, Kuala Lumpur2020

Disruptive Records in the spring. Andante Piano in October.2020

Named after the first of Ron's pieces to find a real audience, with him as its first signed artist.

ADA, part of Warner Music, takes on distributionThe company was less than a year old.2021

Ivo Adelaar and his father Ron after Ron's first show at TivoliVredenburg — Ron's first show, TivoliVredenburgThree years earlier his compositions had not travelled further than the church he played in.2022

The recording room on the Admiralengracht: an upright piano, a microphone on a boom, monitors, glass onto the garden — A room of our ownThe office and studio on the Admiralengracht in Amsterdam. Records are made there.2024

Ivo Adelaar standing at the opened, miked upright piano while an artist plays during a session at the Admiralengracht studio — A session in the studio2024 +

A pianist turning from the opened upright piano as the audience applauds, seated close around her in the studio — Piano nights, and hosting themMusic in a room with people in it, and me in front of them. This is the part that changed how I think about the work.2024 +

A Piano Day session in the office piano room: a pianist at the opened upright, the audience seated close, candles and the Disruptive Records mark on the wall — Hosting Piano DayOnce a year the office becomes the venue. A session in the piano room while the studio runs its own, and the artists on the couch in between.2024 +

MasterPiano, co-foundedA masterclass platform where world-class pianists teach the craft. Launched on Piano Day.2026

Muriel Bostdorp at an opened upright piano by the window at Bouncespace, the audience seated close, a blue and white tram passing outside

The counterweight.

Amsterdam runs fast, and I love it for that. The evenings exist so you can watch the city rush past the window and, for an hour, not feel it. Surrounded by contact, people are starving for presence. This is what we build against.

Coffee + Piano, Bouncespace, Amsterdam

The full story

The record

De TelegraafIvo (31) bouwt met pianolabel aan eigen publiek: ‘Spotify en Apple bepalen welke muziek zichtbaar wordt’September 2026

Het Financieele DagbladDeze kinderen helpen hun ouders ondernemenJune 2023

Music Business WorldwideWarner's ADA strikes distribution deal with Netherlands-based Disruptive RecordsJanuary 2021

All coverage

The door

Working on something in music? My door is LinkedIn.

Message me on LinkedIn See the companies