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Monstercat (previously known as Monstercat Media and MonstercatGaming[1]) is an EDM record label based in Vancouver, Canada[2] founded by Mike Darlington (Co-founder),[3][4] Ari Paunonen (Co-founder), Ephixa, Going Quantum (A&R), and a few unnamed friends of theirs in July 2011.[2]

Unlike other labels that sign artists to exclusive label deals, Monstercat signs their artists on a per-track basis, giving them full copyright to a song while still giving the artist freedom to release other productions where they see fit.[5] Darlington and Paunonen created compilation albums to provide artists with a method of releasing their music and attempt to lessen the competitiveness between them.[6]

History[]

Founding[]

In July 2011, Mike Darlington (CEO) and Ari Paunonen created Monstercat as a YouTube channel.[2] It was originally created as an easy way for Paunonen's friends to share and promote their music.[2][3][7]

Milestones[]

  • The first single on the label was Ephixa's Dubstep Killed Rock 'n' Roll which was released on July 4, 2011.
  • In December 2011, Monstercat signed Krewella,[2][3][7] an American electronic dance music group from Chicago, Illinois; Killin' It being their first original song released by a label.[3][8] Krewella later became an internationally recognised name, and brought attention to the growing label.
  • In June of 2014, Monstercat reached one million record sales.[9]
  • On January 30, 2017, after the release of Gareth Emery and Standerwick's Saving Light, featuring HALIENE, it reached #1 on the Best of Trance List on Beatport and furthermore, reaching #1 across multiple digital stores. This became the first Trance song to do this since over a decade prior. Because of the popularity of this song and having a large audience to Monstercat, Trance was deemed to be revived. Sequentially, on the very last "A State of Trance" show of 2017, Saving Light was crowned as the Anthem of 2017, giving the song the Anthem status.
  • Marshmello's Alone became the first Monstercat single to be certified Platinum in the United States in October 2017, and in Canada in April 2018.
  • Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen founded the Uncaged YouTube channel on July 2, 2011, though the channel did not officially become titled Uncaged until 2018. As of June 9, 2025, it has grown to 7.49 million subscribers and at least 3.3 billion views. It's most watched video is the music video for Marshmello's Alone with 170 million views. [10][11]
  • Mike Darlington founded the Instinct YouTube channel on December 16, 2017, though it wasn't revealed to be the imprint's channel until January 2, 2018. As of June 9, 2025, it has grown to 1.13 million subscribers and at least 566 million views. The channel reached more than 40,000 subscribers before its first released song, Didrick's Ready To Fly featuring Owl City's Adam Young on January 9, 2018. The channel's most watched video is Noisestorm's Crab Rave with 360 million views. [12][13]
  • Mike Darlington acquired the label Silk Music to create Monstercat's third imprint, Monstercat Silk, in 2021. Within the first week of the announcement, at least 5,000 accounts subscribed to Silk's YouTube channel. As of June 9, 2025, the channel has 364,000 subscribers and at least 140 million views. Its most watched video is the 2-hour Best of Shingo Nakamura 01 melodic progressive house mix with 11 million views, while the most watched song is Kaskade and Ella Vos' Miles To Go with 1.1 million views. [14][15]
  • Unlike Pluto's Everything Black featuring Mike Taylor was certified Gold in Canada in July 2021.
  • Vicetone's Nevada and Noisestorm's Crab Rave were certified Gold in September 2021 in Canada and the United States, respectively.
  • On May 6, 2025, Monstercat was sold to Create Music Group, leaving the operation to Daniel Turcotte, Orri Sachar and Rob Hill. [16]

Release Schedule[]

Originally, Monstercat released three new tracks per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with an hour-long podcast being added in March 2014 and releasing every Tuesday (entitled Monstercat Call of the Wild, previously Monstercat Podcast).

In 2017, after thirty compilation albums (numbered 001 - 030), Monstercat unveiled a major rebranding titled Monstercat Uncaged and compilation albums featuring 31 songs (including a collaboration of veteran Monstercat artists) and an album mix.

From 2018 to early 2021, with the split between the aforementioned brand and Monstercat Instinct, Monstercat uploaded songs for Uncaged on Mondays and Thursdays, Instinct on Tuesdays and Fridays, and moved Call of the Wild to every Wednesday. On certain occasions, additional releases were uploaded on Wednesdays and Saturdays, consisting of remixes or special releases. Both Instinct and Uncaged compilation albums were increased to 40 songs (without special collaborations) and an album mix (with the exception of Uncaged Vol. 4 which was only 30 songs).

In 2020, album mixes were no longer released along with compilation albums, but were still uploaded on the imprints' respective YouTube channels.

In 2021, with the purchase and rebranding of Silk Music to Monstercat Silk, Monstercat also uploaded songs for the imprint on Wednesdays and Fridays, and Silk Showcase would stream right before Call of the Wild. Silk Sessions, a DJ session stream like Monstercat TV (MCTV) aired on Saturdays.

Later that year, Monstercat ended the imprint (Uncaged and Instinct) compilation albums with the release of Monstercat Instinct Vol. 7 and Monstercat Uncaged Vol. 11. As the final compilation albums, Instinct Vol. 7 increased to 50 songs and Uncaged Vol. 11 increased to 85 songs, with album mixes uploaded on their imprints' respective YouTube channels.

On March 6, 2023, the release schedule was changed to have Uncaged on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; Silk on Tuesday and Instinct on Thursday.

External Links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ "MonstercatGaming's Channel". Archived from the original on 07 December 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Line Abrahamian (February 2014). "Mike Darlington: Channeling his inner Monstercat". DJ Magazine Canada. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Monstercat CEO – Mike Darlington". The FrontLiner. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Behind the Beat: Hellberg Interview". Only the Beat. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Medved, Matt (8 July 2014). "The Monstercat Label Model: From YouTube Channel to One Million Record Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Bob Vrbanac (17 September 2013). "Thinking of the possibilities". Waterloo Chronicle. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chelsea Perry (10 March 2014). "Monstercat CEO Mike Darlington". NoisePorn. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  8. ↑ Luis Gomez (12 November 2013). "Krewella returning home feeling 'Alive'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Medved, Matt (8 July 2014). "The Monstercat Label Model: From YouTube Channel to One Million Record Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/user/MonstercatMedia
  11. ↑ https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/monstercatmedia
  12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/c/monstercatinstinct
  13. ↑ https://socialblade.com/youtube/c/monstercatinstinct
  14. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/c/monstercatsilk
  15. ↑ https://socialblade.com/youtube/c/monstercatsilk
  16. ↑ "Indie Electronic Label Monstercat Acquired by Create Music Group | News | Create Music Group | Trusted by the largest artists, labels and brands". 6 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
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