At ADE 2026, a Top Music Lawyer Talks AI, Independence & What the Biz Can Learn From Radiohead
At Amsterdam Dance Event 2026, music lawyer and analyst Cliff Fluet argued that influence in the music business increasingly depends on who controls artists’ rights, audience data and fan relationships. Using Radiohead’s 2007 pay-what-you-want release of *In Rainbows* as an example, he said its lasting lesson was about direct engagement and independence, rather than the price of music.
Fluet said electronic music offers lessons for the wider industry because DJs have long built audiences and earned money directly through live shows. He put the global dance music scene’s 2025 value at $15 billion, up 7%, and said electronic music catalogues average 2005 in age, compared with 1990 for other genres. He also argued that clubs and live performance could help protect electronic music’s value as AI disrupts recorded music.
In short
- Fluet said control of fans, rights and data shapes industry power.
- He described electronic music as a model for direct monetisation.
- The global dance scene was valued at $15 billion in 2025.