The Chainsmokers
The Chainsmokers is a Grammy-winning American electronic music duo (Alex Pall and Drew Taggart) that sells recorded music via global streaming platforms, headlines festivals and arenas, maintains a Las Vegas residency, and operates Mantis VC with 130+ technology investments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Chainsmokers does
The Chainsmokers is a Grammy Award-winning American electronic music duo formed in 2012 and based in New York, consisting of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart. The duo operates as a recording and live entertainment act with a catalog of over 118 million records sold worldwide, anchored by global hits such as 'Closer' (2016), 'Don't Let Me Down,' and 'Something Just Like This' (2017). Their product offering consists of music releases distributed across Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, Pandora, and SoundCloud, alongside live performances at festivals, arenas, and venue residencies. Their most recent releases include the collaborative EP 'Love Is Kind' with singer-songwriter Oaks (May 2026) and the single 'Already Know' with Winona Oak (April 2026).
The business model is built on three revenue streams: live performances and touring (including a Las Vegas residency at Wynn Nightlife extended through 2029 and a December 2026 India tour across Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru), music streaming royalties, and investment returns from their venture capital firm Mantis, which has executed over 130 investments in technology and consumer innovation. The go-to-market motion is event-driven, leveraging large-scale festival headlining slots, cultural moments, and college-festival nostalgia tied to the 2010s EDM era. Their primary customer segments are millennial and Gen Z consumers globally, and festival/event organizers (Sunburn Festival, Wynn Nightlife) operating as B2B partners.
Beyond music, The Chainsmokers have positioned themselves as active investors in artificial intelligence through Mantis VC and direct bets, including ProducerAI (backed by Google DeepMind's Lyria 3 model and integrated into Google Labs) and Lemon Slice ($10.5M seed round). They serve as keynote speakers at industry conferences such as Zeta Live 2025, exploring AI's intersection with music and culture. The duo maintains a presence on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat, Discord, and Reddit for fan engagement, and operates an e-commerce storefront at store.thechainsmokers.com. Their primary geographic markets are the United States, the United Kingdom, and India, with global touring and streaming reach.
The Chainsmokers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Chainsmokers
- Legal name
- The Chainsmokers
- Website
- https://thechainsmokers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Chainsmokers is a Grammy-winning American electronic music duo (Alex Pall and Drew Taggart) that sells recorded music via global streaming platforms, headlines festivals and arenas, maintains a Las Vegas residency, and operates Mantis VC with 130+ technology investments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Chainsmokers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Music Entertainment
- NAICS
- Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Aggregators & DIY Distribution Platforms (MPAIAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Creator/Artist Direct-to-Fan Streaming & Membership (MPAIACAF)
Keywords
Where The Chainsmokers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Chainsmokers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Live Performances and Tours: The duo generates significant revenue through live concert performances, festival headlining slots, and venue residencies. They maintain a Las Vegas residency at Wynn Nightlife (extended until 2029), headline major festivals globally, and conduct international tours such as their India 2026 tour.
- Music Streaming and Sales: Revenue from streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and other digital music services. Their catalog has sold over 118 million records worldwide.
- Investment Returns: The Chainsmokers invest in technology startups including AI companies like Lemon Slice and ProducerAI, generating returns through equity investments in the AI music and avatar generation space.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General admission concert tickets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Chainsmokers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Chainsmokers is a Grammy-winning electronic music duo that creates, produces, and distributes original EDM music across studio albums, EPs, and singles, and performs that music live at festivals, arena tours, and venue residencies. Their commercial output is distributed via major streaming platforms and monetized through concert ticket sales, with select AI music ventures (ProducerAI) extending the brand into technology.
Product overview
The Chainsmokers is a Grammy-winning American electronic music duo (Alex Pall and Drew Taggart) whose product offering consists of music releases and live entertainment performances. Their discography includes multiple studio albums (So Far So Good, Sick Boy, Memories... Do Not Open) and EPs (Collage, Bouquet, Love Is Kind), with individual tracks such as Breathe, Summertime Friends, and No Hard Feelings. The duo operates as a live entertainment act with concert performances, including their Wynn Nightlife Las Vegas residency (extending through 2029) and international tours. Their music is distributed through streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Memories... Do Not Open A full-length studio album by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms for music consumers.
- So Far So Good A full-length studio album by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms for music consumers.
- Sick Boy A full-length studio album by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms for music consumers.
- World War Joy An extended play or album by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms.
- Love Is Kind EP Most recent EP by The Chainsmokers released in May 2026, created in collaboration with singer-songwriter Oaks.
- Collage EP An extended play by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms.
- Bouquet EP An extended play by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms.
- Summertime Friends A music track/EP released by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms.
- No Hard Feelings A music track/EP released by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms.
- Already Know (Single) A collaborative single by The Chainsmokers with Winona Oak, released April 2026.
- Breathe A music track released by The Chainsmokers, available on streaming platforms.
- Wynn Nightlife Las Vegas Residency Ongoing live music residency performance series at Wynn Nightlife venues in Las Vegas, extended through 2029, offering recurring headline performances for venue audiences.
- Festival Headlining Performances Large-scale live headlining performances at major EDM and music festivals worldwide, serving festival organizers seeking marquee talent for their lineups.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 118 million records sold worldwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Chainsmokers
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Chainsmokers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Chainsmokers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sunburn FestivalcoreSunburn Festival 2026 Mumbai edition at Mahalaxmi Racecourse will feature The Chainsmokers as headliners. This marks the festival's debut at Mahalaxmi Racecourse and represents a significant expansion for the festival into a new venue. The partnership targets Indian millennial and Gen Z audiences with the tour coinciding with the 10th anniversary of their global hit 'Closer'.
- BookMyShowcoreOfficial ticketing platform partner for The Chainsmokers India tour 2026, handling ticket sales for Mumbai and Bengaluru shows with prices starting at Rs 3,500.
- Wynn NightlifecoreThe Chainsmokers maintain a Las Vegas residency at Wynn Nightlife venues, which has been extended until 2029. The partnership has created unforgettable experiences at the venue according to statements from the artists.
- Zeta GlobalminorThe Chainsmokers joined Zeta Live 2025 conference in New York City for an on-stage conversation exploring how AI is reshaping music, collaboration, and culture, with over 1,200 senior marketers and 70 speakers in attendance.
- Mantis VCcoreThe Chainsmokers co-founded Mantis, a venture capital firm with over 130 investments in technology and consumer innovation. The firm positions them as active investors in the startup ecosystem.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Chainsmokers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- DistroKid: DIY music distribution aggregator serving independent artists; relevant peer given The Chainsmokers' described role enabling indie artists to release remixes, and useful comparable for the aggregator side of their business model.
Direct peers
- Marshmello: American electronic producer/DJ with similar festival headliner economics, brand-driven identity, and catalog of streaming-friendly pop-EDM singles targeting the same Gen Z demographic.
- Diplo: American DJ/producer with comparable cross-genre collaborations, festival headliner profile, and parallel venture/creative diversification beyond core music acts.
- Disclosure: English electronic music duo with comparable Grammy-nominated catalog and festival headlining circuit; operates the same artist + label-adjacent model as The Chainsmokers across recorded music and live performance.
- David Guetta: French DJ/producer with global festival and residency footprint; comparable in revenue mix (live + streaming), catalog scale, and cross-genre pop collaborations.
- The Chemical Brothers: Veteran Grammy-winning electronic duo with comparable catalog depth, festival headlining status, and live-performance driven revenue model; serves as a long-tail comparable for catalog durability.
- Calvin Harris: Scottish DJ/producer who defined the 2010s EDM-pop crossover, with similarly large streaming catalog, Las Vegas residency history, and hit-driven royalty base; benchmark for top-tier EDM artist economics.
- ODESZA: American electronic duo with similar festival headliner status, album/EP release cadence, and brand positioning at the intersection of indie-pop and dance; directly competes for the same festival and Las Vegas/EDM stage slots.
- Swedish House Mafia: Swedish electronic supergroup with similar reunion-style touring economics, festival headlining dominance, and nostalgic catalog monetization around early-2010s EDM hits.
- Galantis: Swedish electronic duo producing crossover pop-EDM hits and headlining major festivals; comparable in scale, genre positioning, and dependence on live performance and streaming royalties.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Chainsmokers social profiles
Digital presenceThe Chainsmokers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Chainsmokers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Chainsmokers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Chainsmokers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments40 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Chainsmokers
What does The Chainsmokers do?
The Chainsmokers is a Grammy-winning electronic music duo that creates, produces, and distributes original EDM music across studio albums, EPs, and singles, and performs that music live at festivals, arena tours, and venue residencies. Their commercial output is distributed via major streaming platforms and monetized through concert ticket sales, with select AI music ventures (ProducerAI) extending the brand into technology.
Is The Chainsmokers a public or private company?
The Chainsmokers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Chainsmokers founded?
The Chainsmokers was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Chainsmokers based?
The Chainsmokers is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Chainsmokers make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Live Performances and Tours are the primary driver. The others are music Streaming and Sales and investment Returns.
Who are The Chainsmokers's main competitors?
DistroKid is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Marshmello, Diplo, Disclosure, David Guetta, The Chemical Brothers, Calvin Harris, ODESZA, Swedish House Mafia and Galantis.
Does The Chainsmokers have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Chainsmokers.
What industry is The Chainsmokers in?
The Chainsmokers's product category is Live Music Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAD, Music Aggregators & DIY Distribution Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAIACAF, Creator/Artist Direct-to-Fan Streaming & Membership. Its NAICS code is 711130.