“ I requested to join because I wanted to monitor how your community can interact with each other.” We have over 30,000 members and we’re one of the largest groups on Facebook, so it’s a bit difficult to keep everyone in line, but Mike seemed pretty pleased. We have a group on Facebook that we’ve affectionately called “ Your EDM’s Family.” It’s a way for people to gather to talk about current events, new music and generally whatever they’d like. But being a part of the internet, it’s hard not to see the importance of community and open discussion.”Ĭommunity is very important to Your EDM, as well. “My first real job I was head of social media and marketing for an application developing company and that was the first time I had ever really gotten involved in developing community. There’s no filter for Mike, he just wanted to talk and be real. “From as far as I can remember, I’ve been on the internet.” It feels like I’m talking to a longtime friend. I asked him if he’d ever been a part of a community program as a child or adolescent, and he gave a wry little laugh. Mike is actually a very community oriented individual. By the time Tomorrowland rolled around we were like 20 people. “At the time when we promised everyone, our team was only seven. It was the first time for them to come and meet the team.” It’s a real family community in the Monstercat team. “We have a lot of people who work in the states and different places not in the office. “I had no chance to party or hang with the team in a regular environment,” said Mike. I think it’s fairly obvious what they chose. Mike and the Monstercat team just recently returned from a trip to TomorrowLand, so I chose to start there.įor the Monstercat team, it was a choice between TomorrowLand or Christmas bonuses. Too many times as a new journalist entering the industry have I put my idols on a pedestal, but it’s important to remember that everyone has their own humble beginnings. Mike answered the call with a smile and I was immediately put at ease. I nervously scrapped most of my questions and made the call on Skype. The day of the interview, I learned that Mike just wanted a chat, an organic word-vomit-conversation. Questions about Monstercat, about the 18th compilation album, about his favorite kind of cat, whatever I could come up with. I’m not an idiot, I knew what it would mean for me and for Your EDM if I nailed this interview. So when I got word last week that I would have the opportunity to interview the CEO of Monstercat, Mike Darlington, I was more than just a little excited. Since then, Monstercat has grown to become the 10th largest YouTube channel in Canada and has broken into the Top 350 in the world. In June of 2014, Monstercat reached one million record sales, and became the 11th most subscribed channel on YouTube in Canada. (Though, all of those are now labels, as well.) Back in 2011, they signed Krewella and released ‘Killin It,’ and the rest is mostly history. The only difference is, unlike Suicide Sheep, MA Dubstep, or Liquicity, Monstercat has been signing music as a label from day one.
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Monstercat really started out just like many other YouTube channels. The name Monstercat had not yet become synonymous with incredible producers and innovative business practices.
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I remember hearing a track from Tut Tut Child and maybe a few tracks from Stephen Walking, but back then I was really into 23 and Going Quantum. I can’t remember the day I first found Monstercat not precisely, at least.