Armada Music is an independent Dutch label founded in 2003 by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron and David Lewis, and the name takes the first two letters of each of their names. The founders decided to start it during a stay in Ibiza in 2002. It began as a small company in Scheveningen before moving its headquarters to Amsterdam, and it now has offices in New York, London and Laren too.
Trance and progressive house are its roots, but the releases also cover house, techno and drum and bass. On the drum and bass side, Andy C's "Come Together" with Mali-Koa came out on Armada, as did "Luvstruck" by Tantrum Desire and Southside Spinners, and the label has signed drum and bass acts and made crossover records. Armin van Buuren, ARTY, Ferry Corsten and Lost Frequencies are among the bigger names on its roster.
More than 30 active sub-labels sit under Armada, including A State of Trance, Who's Afraid of 138?! and Future Sound of Egypt. Besides releasing music, it handles A&R, publishing, artist management and branded events, and its Amsterdam base has an in-house club, a radio studio and production rooms. The label has won the IDMA award for Best Global Label six times, and in 2023 it hired Jason Ellis, formerly head of Positiva, as global senior A&R director.
