Create Music Group Acquires Electronic Music Label Monstercat

A new heavyweight alliance has formed at the heart of the electronic label ecosystem after Create Music Group acquired Canadian independent dance music powerhouse Monstercat.

The deal marks one of the most high-impact mergers the genre has seen in recent memory. The acquisition brings Monstercat’s iconic brand, massive digital reach and artist-first ethos into Create’s expanding platform for rights management, content monetization and label services.

Founded in 2011, Monstercat has since grown into one of the world’s most influential electronic music labels. Its influence at the intersection of EDM and gaming is immense, thanks to partnerships with Rocket League, Beat Saber, Fortnite and Roblox, among others.

Today Monstercat boasts a catalog of over 8,000 recordings from influential artists like Kaskade, Alan Walker, BT and SLANDER among many others. The label also released Marshmello's breakthrough 2016 single "Alone," the masked hitmaker's first record to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Monstercat will continue to operate independently under its President, Daniel Turcotte, while co-founders Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen stay on in advisory capacities.

"Our mission has always been to build sustainable, long-term careers for exceptional artists," Turcotte said in a press release. "Create gives us the reach and support to do that at a larger scale, without changing what makes Monstercat special. We’re still artist-first—only now with more tools to serve them."

As part of the deal, Create has also committed $50 million in investments over the next two years to boost Monstercat’s artist development efforts, platform infrastructure and international expansion. The music giant, which is said to generate over 150 billion monthly streams, also plans to expand Monstercat Gold, the label’s subscription-based sync licensing service for content creators.

"Monstercat is everything an independent label should strive to be—exclusive, globally trusted and capable of breaking artists and songs at the highest levels," added Jonathan Strauss, Co-Founder and CEO of Create Music Group. "Mike, Ari, Daniel, Orri and the entire Monstercat team have built a culture and community at a scale rarely achieved in the music industry. We are excited to support their mission."