Dutch artists remain in high demand internationally. In 2025, the export value of Dutch popular music reached a record high of more than €247 million, an increase of 12 percent compared to the previous year. This is shown by the annual export study conducted by Buma Cultuur.The largest share of this revenue comes from performances abroad. Nearly 80 percent of the total export value is generated by live shows, once again making international stages the main driving force behind the growth of Dutch music exports.
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Harder styles
The list of the most booked Dutch artists abroad also includes two acts from the hard dance segment. Angerfist ranks 15th with 73 international performances, while Brennan Heart follows in 37th place with 54 shows worldwide. This places them among the Dutch artists who performed abroad most frequently in 2025.
That international reach is not limited to live performances alone. Artists from the harder styles also post strong figures on streaming platforms. In an overview of the most streamed Dutch artists on Spotify, Brennan Heart and Paul Elstak appear alongside established international dance names. As of early 2026, Brennan Heart has over 2.3 million monthly listeners, while Paul Elstak has around 2.2 million.
Notable detail: Mad Dog appears in 14th place. The hardcore DJ lives in the Netherlands but is Italian, so this may be a small error on the part of Buma Cultuur.
Dance dominates the rankings
That success is also reflected in the ranking of the most booked Dutch artists abroad. The top 50 is largely dominated by dance acts, with DJs and producers touring internationally for most of the year. House and EDM artists are particularly well represented at the top of the list.
In 2025, Franky Rizardo was the most booked Dutch artist abroad, with 130 performances. Afrojack (114 shows) and Mau P (112 performances) also rank high. Tiësto (109), Distant (102) and Martin Garrix (98) are likewise among the artists who performed abroad most frequently.
Dance has long been the most important export genre for the Netherlands and accounted for around 69 percent of the total export value of popular music in 2025.
