“Nothing changes. I’m still writing new music and doing everything I do”: deadmau5 speaks on selling his catalogue

Three months after selling the rights to his entire catalog to Create Music Group, deadmau5 has spoken on the sale.

In a new interview with Billboard Canada, the DJ and producer – real name Joel Zimmerman – shares his reasoning behind the monumental sale, which reportedly netted him a cool $55 million.

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“It was time to just let it go,” deadmau5 says. “I’m not so attached to [my catalogue] that I think it would’ve been some huge asset 20 or 30 years down the line.” The sale included all of Zimmerman’s biggest hits, including Strobe and Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff.

The sale also included the entire catalogue of Zimmerman’s record label, mau5trap. Since its founding in 2007, a huge number of prominent dance music artists have contributed to its catalogue, including ATTLAS, Matt Lange, Rezz and Excision.

The label remains a space for exciting newcomers, too, including Skellytn, EMSKI and Lamorn.

“I mean, I’m sure they’ll make all their money back and more,” deadmau5 tells Billboard. “But for me, it was just time to reel everything back in, throw some money back into production for the next couple of years, and then start over. So, nothing changes. I’m still writing new music and doing everything I do.”

Zimmerman made the sale to Create Music Group, which reportedly agreed to a joint venture between Zimmerman and the mau5trap artists should they engage in any future plans for previous releases. Under this venture, Create Music Group has also opted to remaster certain staple tracks in addition to building on the brand with new content and partnerships.

Upon the sale in March, Create Music Group CEO Jonathan Strauss said: “Now, as the stewards of deadmau5 and mau5trap’s legendary catalogue, we inherit a legacy that changed music forever. Joel’s influence reaches far beyond sound – his mastery bridges music, gaming, and technology, inspiring a new generation to think bigger. This is more than an acquisition; it’s a responsibility.”

The post “Nothing changes. I’m still writing new music and doing everything I do”: deadmau5 speaks on selling his catalogue appeared first on MusicTech.

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