Image Credit: Georgia Esporlas
Create Music Group has acquired independent electronic music label Monstercat, valued at $1 billion following a $165-million investment round last year. The company has committed to investing an additional $50 million over the next two years in artist development, advances, and platform support across Monstercat’s roster, “to accelerate both new signings and long-term career growth”. Financial terms beyond the $50 million investment commitment weren’t disclosed. Monstercat has staff based in Vancouver, Toronto, and Los Angeles. According to the official announcement, Monstercat will continue to operate as an independent entity under its current leadership team, which includes Daniel Turcotte, Vice President Orri Sachar, and Finance Director Rob Hill.
Monstercat is an independent electronic record label founded in 2011 in Waterloo, Canada. The deal gives Create Music access to over 8,000 recordings from artists including Kaskade, Alan Walker, Vicetone, Punctual, WHIPPED CREAM, DJ DIESEL (AKA Shaquille O’Neal), and Koven. The announcement about the deal states that Monstercat has paid over $60 million to artists since its founding and claims to have placed over 150 songs in video games in 2024 alone through partnerships with Rocket League, Beat Saber, Fortnite, Roblox, and more.
The company operates three genre-focused imprints: Uncaged for bass music, Instinct for melodic content, and Silk for progressive and deep house. Silk was launched via Monstercat’s 2021 acquisition of Silk Music and now leads in progressive, chill, and deep house. With a digital audience of over 13 million followers including a YouTube following of 9 million subscribers, Monstercat maintains a presence at major electronic music events including Tomorrowland, Rampage Open Air, Amsterdam Dance Event, and Miami Music Week.
Following the acquisition, Create Music says it also plans to invest in expanding Monstercat Gold, the label’s subscription-based sync licensing service for content creators. “We’re aligned in our vision of how a modern music company can create value for artists, and together we’ll be able to build something much bigger than either of us could do alone,” said Jonathan Strauss, Co-Founder and CEO of Create Music Group. “This partnership gives us the flexibility to offer more creative pathways for our artists.”
Orri Sachar, VP of Monstercat, added: “This partnership gives us the flexibility to offer more creative pathways for our artists. Whether you’re releasing your first track or scaling an established brand, we now have the infrastructure to help artists succeed at every level.”
Eric Nguyen, SVP of Global Corporate Development & M&A at Create Music, added: “Monstercat brings a team and brand we deeply respect. We are excited to help scale what they’ve already built.”
Create Music Group, which recently acquired deadmau5’s catalogue along with his label, alongside Pack,!K7, Ostereo, half of Enhanced and more – they continue with the purchase of Monstercat, arguably their biggest buy yet.
Monstercat has built a strong identity around its artist-centric philosophy, genre-diverse catalogue, and highly engaged global fanbase. The label has issued more than 8,000 tracks from major artists and is widely respected for its transparency, equitable contract terms, and unique ability to offer full-service licensing by managing both master and publishing rights. Monstercat’s catalogue spans three labels: Uncaged (bass and heavy electronic), Instinct (melodic and vocal-driven), and Silk, which launched via the 2021 acquisition of Silk Music and now leads in progressive, chill, and deep house.
Monstercat founders Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen will remain involved in advisory roles to support the next phase of the label’s growth.
