Dancelife Music

Bring a smile to your feet through music.

Explore music for dance — and the knowledge, rights and technology that make it work.

Dancing couple in cinematic lighting with Dancelife, Sylvain van Hemert and The DanceSport Music Guide artwork

Music · DanceSport Music · Knowledge · Rights · Technology

Find your starting point

Follow what moves you.

01 — MUSIC

Find music to dance to.

Releases, albums and a starting point for discovering music for your dance.

Discover the Music →
02 — DANCESPORT MUSIC

Understand why music works for dance.

Look beyond genre. Explore the character, structure and demands of the music.

Understand DanceSport Music →
03 — LICENSING & RIGHTS

Use music with the right permissions.

Connect your intended use with the rights and arrangements it needs.

Explore Licensing & Rights →
04 — THE GUIDE

Explore the framework behind our approach.

The DanceSport Music Guide brings terminology and methodology together.

Explore the Guide →

Discover · Listen · Dance

Music for movement.

Start with a dance. Find the sound that fits the moment.

Bring 18 Smiles to Your Feet album artworkBring 18 Smiles to Your FeetExplore release & listening links → Movies and Musicals volume 3 album artworkMovies and Musicals · Vol. 3Explore release & listening links →
Playlist direction · conceptFind your
rhythm.

Practice · Teaching · Social Dance

Playlist direction · conceptReady for
the floor.

Rounds · Final · Performance

Album artwork from Dancelife’s existing catalogue. Playlist panels illustrate future discovery routes.

Dance

Cha Cha Cha · Samba · Rumba · Jive · Waltz · Tango

Purpose

Practice · Teaching · Social Dance · Competition

Level

Practice · Rounds · Final

Music Type

Authentic / Traditional · Orchestral / Big Band · Competition · Popular · Alternative

Genre

Explore the sound alongside its dance character.

DS Score

A place for framework-based assessment, where available.

A preview of the future catalogue structure. Browse the existing releases for music available now.

How Dancelife understands DanceSport Music

We analyse how music works for dance.

Not only its genre. Its timing, character, energy and the kind of movement it invites.

The Four Pillars

01 / FOUNDATIONParameters
02 / GROOVERhythm Character
03 / EXPRESSIONMelody Character
04 / DEVELOPMENTDynamics & Energy
  1. Music TypeApproach to the sound
  2. Target Group / GenreAudience and musical context
  3. LevelListening and dance demands
  4. DS ScoreFramework-based assessment
  5. ApplicationThe practical setting
PracticeTeachingSocial DanceRoundsFinalPerformance
Go deeper into the framework

The Four Pillars describe the musical foundation. Music Type, target group, genre and level add classification and context. DS Score connects with the wider assessment framework. This flow is an overview of the approach, rather than a scoring formula.

The DanceSport Music Guide

The framework behind our approach.

A structured way to analyse, classify and select music for dance and DanceSport.

Dance ProfilesFour PillarsMusic TypeTarget GroupGenreLevelDS ScoreStrict TempoMusic selectionDJ knowledge / syllabus
Feel the pulse.Hear the character.Follow the structure.

Start with the accessible Dancers Edition, Version 1.3. The wider Guide framework provides the professional depth.

Music Rights Explained cover from Appendix 4 of The DanceSport Music GuideDancers Edition page with the Five Music Types illustration and an explanation of music levels
Guide source material · Appendix 4 cover and Dancers Edition page detail.
View the Dancers Edition opening page ↗

Music Rights & Licensing

The right music.
The right permissions.

Start with what you want to do. Connect the music, its rights holders and the scope of your use.

Professional music use brings together creative choices, agreements and clear responsibilities.

Rights & Ownership

Repertoire, masters and publishing.

Licensing & Commercial Models

Permissions and royalty arrangements.

Distribution & Administration

Delivery and operational responsibilities.

Technology & Reporting

Metadata, usage information and systems.

I want to use music

Tell us where it will play.

Dance schools · Competitions · Events · Video · Streaming / Apps · CDs / Compilations · Media

License Music

I want to understand music rights

Get a clearer picture.

Master · Publishing · Neighbouring · Synchronisation · Performance · Mechanical Rights

Understand Music Rights

The applicable permissions depend on the repertoire, territory, use and agreement.

Independent Music

Clear ownership.
Clear rights.
Clear possibilities.

An approach to music whose relevant rights structure can be clearly identified and managed for professional use.

Match each use with its permissions, agreements and reporting requirements. Independent Music does not automatically mean royalty-free or free of collective-management obligations.

Innovation & Development

The next connections.

Bringing music knowledge, rights and data into the systems the dance industry can use.

In development

DSMAS

DanceSport Music Analysis System applies measurements and analysis to the DanceSport Music framework.

DanceSport Music AnalysisInterface concept
01 / PARAMETERSTiming & structure
02 / RHYTHMCharacter & accents
03 / MELODYDirection & expression
04 / ENERGYDynamics & development
CLASSIFICATIONMusic Type · Level
ASSESSMENTDS Score —

Illustrative layout · No measured track data or score shown.

  1. Measurement
  2. Four Pillars
  3. Music Type
  4. Level
  5. DS Score
Project in development

Music4.dance

Exploring Independent Music, music access, usage reporting and rights for dance schools, connected through technology.

Music4.danceInterface concept
Music for your danceDance · Purpose · Level
Rights & useRepertoire · Permissions · Territory
Usage reportingMetadata · Plays · Context
Music accessIndependent MusicDance schoolsRights data

Illustrative direction · Not a live product interface.

Initiated by Sylvain van Hemert. The project has not yet been fully commercially launched.

Discuss a development collaboration →

Research & Development

Room to explore the next questions.

Music analysisMetadataAIClassificationRights dataMusic usage data

Knowledge

A closer listen.
A wider understanding.

The DanceSport Music Guide — Version 11.0 front cover

Structured knowledge

The DanceSport Music Guide

The framework behind the listening and classification approach.

Explore the Guide →
The Practice Room — The Podcast. Music, Dance, Objectivity.

Conversations

The Practice Room

Music, DanceSport and the people shaping the industry.

Explore the editorial direction

A space for conversations and interviews. Episodes, guest photography and listening links will be added when confirmed.

Music · Movement · IdeasWhen music
becomes
movement.

Articles & Research

Ideas worth exploring.

New questions, developments and professional knowledge.

Read the introduction →

About Dancelife

Music is where the connections begin.

Dancelife Music connects music for dance with DanceSport knowledge, rights and technology. Each area informs the others — from a recording on the dance floor to the systems behind its use.

Our development direction

  1. Music
  2. Digital Distribution
  3. Rights
  4. Knowledge
  5. Technology

The connecting perspective

Sylvain van Hemert

Music · Dance · Music Rights · Technology · Business

CEO of Dancelife Music I.P. B.V., author of The DanceSport Music Guide and initiator of Music4.dance. Sylvain connects music, dance, rights and technology, turning ideas into workable business models.

More about Sylvain →

Let’s connect

Let’s talk music.

Looking for music, licensing, a custom production or a professional collaboration?