DeathWise Inc.
DeathWise Inc. is an independent record label founded in 1999 by Converge's Jacob Bannon, selling vinyl, CDs, cassettes, digital music, and band merchandise directly through its Shopify storefront to hardcore, punk, and extreme metal fans worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBeverly, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DeathWise Inc. does
DeathWise Inc. (operating as Deathwish Inc. or Deathwish) is an independent record label founded in 1999 by Jacob Bannon, frontman of the hardcore band Converge. The label is headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts (with Cambridge referenced in some sources) and operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business selling physical music (vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, Blu-Ray/DVD, and VHS), digital music, apparel, and band/artist merchandise through its owned Shopify-based storefront at deathwishinc.com. It maintains an active roster of 40+ artists spanning hardcore, post-hardcore, punk, and extreme metal — including Converge, Deafheaven, Touché Amoré, Ceremony, and Health-related side projects — alongside an extensive alumni network of former signees.
The technology stack is deliberately conventional: a Shopify e-commerce platform on the DTC side, with digital distribution handled by third-party services (Bandcamp, Tidal, Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify). There are no proprietary AI features, mobile apps, or APIs referenced in the source data. Product breadth extends well beyond traditional music sales into apparel (t-shirts, longsleeves, sweatshirts, hats), accessories (stickers, posters, art prints, tote bags, mugs, phone cases, puzzles, blankets), specialty items (books, zines, turntables up to $999), and VHS video releases.
The business model combines DTC unit pricing on merchandise and music (vinyl LPs $7.99–$34.99, CDs from $7.99, cassettes from $9.99, apparel $24.99–$59.99) with international distribution through a wholly-owned European subsidiary (Deathwish Europe / deathwishinc.eu), country-specific distribution partners Force Majeure (France) and Devildogdistro (UK), a co-publishing/distribution partnership with Epitaph Records for catalog acts such as Converge, and a curated marketplace of 50+ exclusive store partners. Customer base is a horizontal segment of hardcore, post-hardcore, and extreme-music enthusiasts and collectors. Revenue figures are not disclosed, funding rounds are absent from the data, and ownership is privately held with no institutional investors referenced.
DeathWise Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DeathWise Inc.
- Legal name
- Deathwish Inc.
- Website
- https://deathwishinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DeathWise Inc. is an independent record label founded in 1999 by Converge's Jacob Bannon, selling vinyl, CDs, cassettes, digital music, and band merchandise directly through its Shopify storefront to hardcore, punk, and extreme metal fans worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DeathWise Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Record Label / Music Distribution
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- SIC
- Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Aggregators & DIY Distribution Platforms (MPAIAAAD)
Keywords
Where DeathWise Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beverly
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DeathWise Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Physical Music Sales: Sales of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, and Blu-Ray/DVD products from signed and distributed artists. Products range from standard releases to collector's edition variants with exclusive colorways.
- Merchandise Sales: Sales of band merchandise including t-shirts, longsleeves, sweatshirts, hats, accessories, posters, prints, books, and vinyl accessories like turntables.
- Digital Music Distribution: Digital album sales and streaming through Bandcamp, Tidal, Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Vinyl LP releases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CD releases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cassette releases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel and accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Books and specialty items |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels12 records
DeathWise Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Deathwish Inc. is an independent record label and music distributor that releases physical music formats (vinyl records, CDs, cassettes) and digital music from its signed artists, alongside branded merchandise and apparel. The company sells these products directly to consumers through its owned e-commerce storefront and supports international distribution through its Deathwish Europe subsidiary.
Product overview
Deathwish Inc. is an independent record label and music distributor founded by Converge guitarist Jacob Bannon, operating as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform selling music releases and merchandise. The core product portfolio consists of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, and digital downloads across multiple sub-genres of hardcore, punk, and extreme metal. The label distributes releases from both active artists (Converge, Deafheaven, Touché Amoré, Snag, Mad Honey, Greet Death, Boneflower, Glare, Denisa) and maintains exclusive stores for partner labels and artist-specific stores. Merchandise offerings include apparel (t-shirts, longsleeves, sweatshirts), accessories (art prints, stickers, posters, bags, mugs, phone cases, puzzles), turntables, and VHS video releases. The company operates Deathwish Europe as a regional partner for distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Physical Music Releases (Vinyl, CD, Cassette)
Companies that use DeathWise Inc.
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
DeathWise Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DeathWise Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Force MajeurecoreFrench distribution partner handling Deathwish releases within France. Links to their website (forcemajeure.bzh) from the main Deathwish navigation.
- DevildogdistrocoreUK distribution partner handling Deathwish releases within the United Kingdom. Listed in the main navigation alongside Force Majeure.
- Epitaph RecordscoreCo-publishing partner with Deathwish for releases, most notably Converge's catalog. Converge's 'Hum of Hurt' released via Epitaph/Deathwish in June 2026. Significant strategic partnership for distribution and publishing.
- Deathwish EuropecoreEuropean division of Deathwish operating at deathwishinc.eu, handling distribution and sales for European customers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DeathWise Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Southern Lord Recordings: Independent label focused on doom, sludge, hardcore, and experimental heavy music. Highly comparable as a vinyl-focused, artist-centric indie operating in adjacent extreme-music niches with similar D2C and partner-distribution models.
- Run For Cover Records: Independent Boston-based label releasing emo, hardcore, punk, and indie rock. Highly comparable as a similarly-sized East Coast indie with vinyl-exclusive drops, color-variant collecting culture, and shared artist overlap with the hardcore/post-hardcore scene.
- Relapse Records: Independent US record label specializing in extreme metal, hardcore, and experimental music. Directly comparable as a niche indie label with deep artist rosters, vinyl-first distribution, and direct-to-consumer sales of physical formats and merchandise.
- Pure Noise Records: Independent label specializing in pop-punk, hardcore, emo, and post-hardcore. Comparable as a similar-sized indie with vinyl-forward releases, exclusive color variants, and a similar target fanbase within the broader hardcore-adjacent scene.
- Translation Loss Records: Brooklyn-based independent label focused on hardcore, punk, metal, and noise. Directly comparable as a small indie with vinyl-forward physical releases, exclusive variants, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce serving a niche collector audience.
- Profound Lore Records: Canadian independent label releasing death metal, black metal, doom, and extreme hardcore. Comparable as a small-team indie with vinyl-forward catalog, niche-genre focus, and direct e-commerce channel serving a passionate collector base.
- Sargent House: Independent US label representing experimental, post-metal, and hardcore-adjacent acts. Directly comparable as a small indie label with strong artist rosters, vinyl/physical distribution, and artist-friendly creative terms similar to Deathwish's positioning.
- Prosthetic Records: Independent label focused on heavy metal, hardcore, and extreme music. Comparable as a vinyl-first indie serving a similar collector-driven fanbase with comparable catalog scale and D2C e-commerce model.
- Good Fight Music: Independent US label and management group with strong hardcore/punk roster. Comparable as a similarly-positioned indie serving extreme music fans through vinyl releases, merchandise, and direct e-commerce.
Broad incumbents
- Epitaph Records: Major independent punk/hardcore label (parent: ANTI-/Epitaph) operating at much larger scale. Comparable as the strategic co-publishing partner of Deathwish; overlaps in genre and artist signings but operates with significantly broader catalog, distribution, and infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DeathWise Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceDeathWise Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DeathWise Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
DeathWise Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
DeathWise Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DeathWise Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DeathWise Inc.
What does DeathWise Inc. do?
Deathwish Inc. is an independent record label and music distributor that releases physical music formats (vinyl records, CDs, cassettes) and digital music from its signed artists, alongside branded merchandise and apparel. The company sells these products directly to consumers through its owned e-commerce storefront and supports international distribution through its Deathwish Europe subsidiary.
Is DeathWise Inc. a public or private company?
DeathWise Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DeathWise Inc. founded?
DeathWise Inc. was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DeathWise Inc. based?
DeathWise Inc. is headquartered in Beverly, United States, in the North America region.
How does DeathWise Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Music Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and digital Music Distribution.
Who are DeathWise Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Southern Lord Recordings, Run For Cover Records, Relapse Records, Pure Noise Records, Translation Loss Records, Profound Lore Records, Sargent House, Prosthetic Records and Good Fight Music. Epitaph Records is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does DeathWise Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for DeathWise Inc..
What industry is DeathWise Inc. in?
DeathWise Inc.'s product category is Independent Record Label / Music Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAD, Music Aggregators & DIY Distribution Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51225 and its SIC code is 3652.