A State of Trance
A Dutch trance music platform founded by Armin van Buuren, encompassing a radio show, record label, compilations and international events.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
A State of Trance, commonly abbreviated as ASOT, is a Dutch electronic-music brand created by DJ and producer Armin van Buuren. It began as a weekly radio programme in 2001 and developed into a broader platform spanning broadcast media, digital streaming, a record-label imprint, compilation albums, fan-voted music features and large-scale trance events. The brand is closely associated with the international growth of trance music and with van Buuren’s role as its principal host and curator. The first programme aired on 1 June 2001 through ID&T Radio. Its first three episodes used the title Into Trance, after which the programme adopted the A State of Trance name. The regular format is generally a two-hour DJ mix focusing on new trance, progressive trance, uplifting trance, vocal trance and related progressive-house releases. Commercial singles, promotional material and unreleased tracks may appear alongside recurring editorial features such as Tune of the Week, Future Favourite, Service for Dreamers, Trending Track and Progressive Pick. These features give the programme a community-oriented identity rather than presenting it as only a continuous mix. After the programme was unexpectedly dropped by ID&T Radio following a change in the station’s music policy, it returned through the internet station ETN.fm. The presentation subsequently shifted from Dutch to English, helping the programme reach listeners outside the Netherlands. From episode 185, distribution through Digitally Imported, now commonly known as DI.FM, helped synchronize the show across many radio affiliates and established a durable international listening network. The programme has also been distributed through YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, VK, SiriusXM’s A State of Armin channel and major music-streaming services. Some broadcast affiliates carry the complete two-hour programme, while others edit or divide it to accommodate local schedules and advertising. The A State of Trance label imprint was launched in 2003 within Armada Music. Its catalogue has concentrated on trance and progressive-trance releases from both established and emerging artists. Questia’s Nexus Asia was the imprint’s first vinyl release, issued as ASOT001 in June 2003. The label operates alongside, rather than replacing, the radio and event businesses, and provides a release channel for music connected to the ASOT sound and audience. The brand’s event business grew through anniversary celebrations and live broadcasts. Special episodes marking programme milestones evolved into major gatherings, with celebrations from the 400th episode onward also taking place outside the Netherlands. From the 500th episode, the annual ASOT celebrations became one of the principal large-scale trance events in the Netherlands, succeeding the earlier Trance Energy tradition as a central national gathering for the genre. The brand later expanded its festival identity beyond episode numbering. In 2024, the flagship event moved to Rotterdam Ahoy under the Destination theme, combining performances with a broader programme involving mindfulness, talent, art and knowledge. ASOT reached episode 1000 in January 2021. The occasion was preceded by a seven-day listener-voted Top 1000 broadcast featuring a countdown, interviews, fan material and retrospective programming. The associated Celebration Mix compiled tracks selected through that project. Later in 2021, van Buuren released A State of Trance Forever, a collaborative album linked to the episode-1000 celebrations and involving several artists associated with trance history. The brand remains active as an integrated media, music and live-events platform. Its positioning rests on expert curation, continuity, fan participation and the presentation of trance as a global culture rather than merely a club genre. Its influence is visible in the international circulation of trance releases, the popularity of specialist DJ radio programmes and the way anniversary broadcasts h…
History
A State of Trance originated as a weekly radio show created and hosted by Armin van Buuren. Its first broadcast took place on 1 June 2001 via ID&T Radio. The first three programmes were titled Into Trance, but the A State of Trance title was adopted from episode four. The show initially aired in Dutch and later moved to English when it sought a broader international audience. The programme’s early development was shaped by changes in distribution. After episode 182, ID&T Radio cancelled the show as part of a change in its music policy. Following a short interruption, episode 183 was carried by ETN.fm. From episode 185, DI.FM became a key distribution partner, allowing the programme to reach listeners through internet radio and a growing network of terrestrial and digital affiliates. The format generally remained a two-hour DJ mix, but stations sometimes shortened or segmented it to fit local schedules and advertising. ASOT established a recognizable editorial structure through recurring features. Tune of the Week identifies van Buuren’s preferred new track, while Future Favourite uses listener voting to select a release from the previous programme. Historical music has been represented through features that evolved from ASOT Radio Classic to Armin’s Oldskool Classic and later Service for Dreamers. Trending Track and Progressive Pick added further audience and genre signposts. These recurring elements helped turn the show into a participatory music-discovery service. In 2003, A State of Trance expanded into recorded music through a label imprint within Armada Music. Questia’s Nexus Asia was the first vinyl release, catalogued as ASOT001. The imprint’s catalogue has primarily represented trance and progressive trance and has included both developing producers and established names. The label, compilation albums and radio programme operate as mutually reinforcing parts of the same brand ecosystem. Special episodes became increasingly important. The 100th episode used an extended five-hour format with guest mixes, while the 200th episode included listener-requested music, a guest mix and a live segment from Amsterdam. From the 250th episode, milestone editions were linked to live celebrations, and from episode 400 the celebrations also travelled outside the Netherlands. Episode 500 marked a further change: ASOT anniversary events became major trance gatherings and assumed a role previously associated with Trance Energy. The programme entered a new audiovisual phase in the late 2010s. It began video livestreaming from an Amsterdam studio, and Ruben de Ronde became a regular co-host. From episode 922, the second hour increasingly featured guest DJs, with de Ronde or Ferry Corsten often presenting that section. Corsten’s monthly residency was later announced during episode 972. The 1000th episode, broadcast in January 2021, was supported by a seven-day listener-voted Top 1000 project. The event combined a retrospective countdown with interviews, fan videos, year mixes and the studio transmission of episode 1000. The fan-selected number-one track was Armin van Buuren and Susana’s Shivers. The related Celebration Mix and the later collaborative album A State of Trance Forever extended the anniversary into recorded music. ASOT’s live identity continued to evolve after the episode-1000 celebrations. The annual gatherings became less strictly tied to episode numbering, and in 2024 the flagship festival moved to Rotterdam Ahoy under the Destination concept. The event combined multiple stages and a wide artist programme with activities intended to broaden the festival experience. Across its radio, label, compilation and event activities, A State of Trance has remained an international platform for trance culture and electronic-music discovery.
- 2024
Flagship festival moves to Rotterdam
[1]The main festival moved to Rotterdam Ahoy under the Destination theme.
- 2021
Episode 1000 and Top 1000 project
[1]ASOT reached its 1000th episode after a week-long listener-voted countdown and retrospective livestream.
- 2017
Video studio era begins
[1]The programme began video broadcasts from an Amsterdam studio and Ruben de Ronde joined as co-host.
- 2011
Episode 500 celebrations
[1]The anniversary-event programme became a major recurring trance event in the Netherlands.
- 2008
100th label release
[1]The imprint reached its 100th release with a release pairing The Doppler Effect and Envio material.
- 2003
Record-label imprint launches
[1]A State of Trance entered the recorded-music business as an imprint within Armada Music.
- 2001
First broadcast
[1]The first episode aired on 1 June through ID&T Radio. The initial episodes used the Into Trance title before the programme became A State of Trance.
Products and positioning
A globally oriented curator and community platform for trance and progressive electronic music, combining specialist radio, artist releases, fan participation and destination-scale live events.
Radio programme and livestream · 2001
A State of Trance radio show
The core ASOT offering is a usually weekly two-hour DJ-mix programme hosted by Armin van Buuren. It presents new trance, progressive trance, uplifting trance, vocal trance and related progressive music, combining releases with unreleased tracks, guest mixes and recurring listener-facing features.
Record-label imprint · 2003
A State of Trance record label
Launched within Armada Music in 2003, the label releases trance and progressive-trance singles, artist projects and compilation-related material. Its early catalogue included emerging producers as well as established figures, with Questia’s Nexus Asia serving as the first vinyl release.
DJ mix compilation
A State of Trance compilation series
The compilation line extends the radio programme into curated multi-track DJ mixes. These releases collect current trance and progressive material associated with the ASOT sound and are part of the brand’s recorded-music catalogue.
Annual DJ mix
A State of Trance Year Mix
The Year Mix format retrospectively selects notable trance music from the preceding year and presents it as an annual radio, streaming and recorded-mix feature.
Electronic-music festival
A State of Trance festival events
ASOT’s live events developed from anniversary broadcasts into large international trance gatherings. They combine multiple stages, guest artists, live broadcasts and brand-related cultural programming, with the flagship event moving to Rotterdam Ahoy in 2024.
Collaborative album · 2021
A State of Trance Forever
Released in 2021 in connection with the 1000th-episode celebrations, the album brought van Buuren together with artists associated with the history and development of trance.
Controversies
2016
Paul van Dyk stage-fall litigation
During a performance at the ASOT 750 event in Utrecht on 27 February 2016, Paul van Dyk fell through an unsafe section of the stage and sustained serious injuries. Subsequent legal proceedings focused on event organizer ALDA Events’ alleged failure to design and warn about the unsafe structure. Van Dyk stated that his criticism concerned the organizer and not the ASOT brand or Armin van Buuren.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Destination Rotterdam
Netherlands · International festival audience
The flagship ASOT festival was repositioned at Rotterdam Ahoy under the Destination theme, with a two-day event and an accompanying hotel programme focused on music, mindfulness, talent, art and knowledge.
Outcome. The move established Rotterdam Ahoy as the new flagship festival venue and broadened the event beyond stage performances.
- 2021ASOT Top 1000
Worldwide digital audience
A seven-day livestream counted down the most popular tracks played on ASOT, based on listener voting, and combined the countdown with interviews, fan videos and retrospective programming.
Outcome. The project culminated in the episode-1000 broadcast and generated the A State of Trance 1000 – Celebration Mix compilation.
Brand decisions
2024
Relocate the flagship festival to Rotterdam AhoyGeneration changeBackground
The anniversary-event format had developed into a major international festival property.
Action taken
ASOT moved its flagship festival to Rotterdam Ahoy and presented it under the Destination theme.
Aftermath
The event expanded its physical footprint and introduced a broader programme around music and related cultural activities.
2017
Introduce regular video livestreamingProduct launchBackground
ASOT had already become an established digital audio programme with a global audience.
Action taken
The show began broadcasting video from a new studio in Amsterdam and added Ruben de Ronde as a regular co-host.
Aftermath
The move strengthened the programme’s audiovisual and social-media presence.
2005
Move toward international internet-radio distributionStrategyBackground
ID&T Radio discontinued the show after changing its music policy.
Action taken
The programme resumed through ETN.fm and then moved to DI.FM, while shifting its presentation from Dutch to English.
Aftermath
The change improved international accessibility and enabled synchronization across numerous radio affiliates.
2003
Extend the radio brand into a label imprintStrategyBackground
The radio show had established a recognizable identity around trance and progressive electronic music.
Action taken
A State of Trance launched as a record-label imprint within Armada Music.
Aftermath
The imprint gave the brand a dedicated channel for releasing music alongside its radio, compilation and event activities.
Recent events
- 2024
Flagship ASOT festival moves to Rotterdam Ahoy[1]
Product generation
The flagship festival moved to Rotterdam Ahoy under the Destination theme, with nearly 60 acts across two days and an accompanying hotel programme.
- 2021
A State of Trance reaches episode 1000[1]
Campaign · Product generation
The milestone was marked by a seven-day Top 1000 livestream, a studio broadcast and the Celebration Mix compilation.
- 2021
A State of Trance Forever connects the brand with a collaborative album[1]
Product launch
Armin van Buuren released a collaborative album associated with the episode-1000 celebrations and the history of trance.
- 2019
Guest DJs become regular second-hour presenters[1]
Product generation
The second hour increasingly featured guest DJs, generally hosted in part by Ruben de Ronde or Ferry Corsten.
- 2017
A State of Trance adds regular video broadcasting[1]
Product launch
The programme began video livestreaming from a new Amsterdam studio, with Ruben de Ronde becoming a regular co-host.
- 2011
A State of Trance episode 500 celebrations become a major trance event[1]
Campaign · Product generation
The anniversary-event format developed into a major annual gathering and became a successor in importance to the Netherlands’ earlier Trance Energy events.
- 2005
The programme moves from ID&T Radio to internet distribution[1]
Other
After ID&T Radio discontinued the programme amid a change in music policy, ASOT returned through ETN.fm and subsequently expanded through DI.FM and international affiliates.
- 2003
A State of Trance label imprint launches[1]
Product launch
The record-label imprint was introduced within Armada Music, extending the radio programme into recorded releases.
- 2001
A State of Trance begins weekly broadcasting[1]
Product launch
The first episode aired on 1 June 2001 through ID&T Radio, establishing the radio programme that later became the wider ASOT brand.
Sources2 sources
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