Monstercat is a Canadian EDM record label co-founded in 2011 by Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen, with their mission statement: “We are proving that independent labels have the ability to reshape the music industry landscape while supporting rising musicians.”

Monstercat started out as a YouTube channel that provided a platform for Darlington and Paunonen to promote their friend’s music. As of now, Monstercat stands as one of the largest and most popular independent EDM record labels worldwide. In addition, Monstercat’s YouTube Channel has almost 4 Million subscribers and is one of YouTube’s most successful music-based channels. Monstercat also runs a 24/7 Twitch stream that exclusively broadcasts Monstercat music in addition to a weekly Podcast every Tuesday.

Monstercat features an extensive lineup of both solo artists and groups that encompasses many different styles and genres. Rather than sign artists to the label with exclusivity deals, Monstercat signs singles. This lets the artist retain the rights to their music while also giving them the freedom to release music on other labels. Monstercat also releases compilation albums to offer more than just single releases to consumers as well as to foster a less competitive atmosphere among artists. These albums have hit #1 on iTunes’ Dance charts in over 16 countries as well as singles charting at #1 on Beatport worldwide.

Monstercat is a great place for independent artists to flourish in an artistically healthy environment. In my opinion, they have been holding up their end of the bargain in “proving that independent labels have the ability to reshape the music industry landscape.”

Listen to and buy Monstercat music: Monstercat Website, Bandcamp, Beatport, Google Play Music, iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify

Check out Monstercat on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Google+, Merch