Mute
Mute is a London-based independent record label and music publishing group founded by Daniel Miller in 1978, operating Mute Records, sub-labels (NovaMute, The Grey Area, Parallel Series), and Mute Song publishing (100,000+ songs) across electronic, experimental, and alternative genres with a roster including Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Moby, and New Order.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Mute does
Mute is a privately held independent record label and music publishing group founded by Daniel Miller in London in 1978 and operated as Mute Artists Ltd. Over more than 45 years it has built a roster across electronic, experimental, post-punk, and alternative genres, anchored by historically significant artists including Depeche Mode, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Moby, Erasure, Can, Goldfrapp, New Order, and Laibach. The company operates a multi-imprint structure: the core Mute Records label plus sub-labels NovaMute (electronic/techno), The Grey Area, and Parallel Series, alongside Mute Song — a music publishing arm whose catalogue exceeds 100,000 songs.
The business monetizes through four primary revenue streams: (1) physical and digital record sales (vinyl, CD, cassette, digital downloads) distributed globally via major streaming platforms, the direct-to-consumer Mute Shop, and physical record stores; (2) licensing and sync royalties for film, TV, advertising, and games, handled by dedicated contacts in the UK and US; (3) publishing royalties from the 100,000+ song Mute Song catalogue; and (4) merchandise and direct sales. Operations are supported by a 11–50 person team with headquarters in London (including a recording studio) and a regional headquarters in New York (Mute North America) handling US recording and artist management. The technology stack is conventional — a WordPress-based website with e-commerce, Mailchimp for email marketing, Google Analytics/AdWords, and integrations with major streaming platforms. There is no proprietary AI, no developer APIs, and no software products; Mute's competitive position rests on its catalogue IP, brand reputation, founder-led A&R, and artist relationships rather than technology differentiation.
Mute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mute
- Legal name
- Mute Artists Ltd
- Website
- https://mute.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mute is a London-based independent record label and music publishing group founded by Daniel Miller in 1978, operating Mute Records, sub-labels (NovaMute, The Grey Area, Parallel Series), and Mute Song publishing (100,000+ songs) across electronic, experimental, and alternative genres with a roster including Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Moby, and New Order.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Record Label
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225), Music Publishers (512230), Sound Recording Studios (51224)
- SIC
- Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation) (MPAIABAF), Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing) (MPAIABAE), Sync Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms (MPAIALAG)
Keywords
Where Mute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Record Sales: Revenue from physical formats (vinyl, CD, cassette) and digital downloads/streaming across major platforms. Multiple release formats offered including limited edition colored vinyl.
- Licensing and Sync: Licensing music for film, TV, advertising, and other media uses. Contact for sync licensing: Simon Ballard and Adrian Janssens (USA).
- Publishing (Mute Song): Publishing revenue from over 100,000 song catalogue, representing songwriters and composers with works licensed across various media.
- Merchandise and Direct Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through label's own shop and third-party digital platforms.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mute is an independent record label founded by Daniel Miller in 1978 that signs, develops, and distributes recorded music from a roster of artists across electronic, experimental, post-punk, and alternative genres. The group operates the core Mute Records imprint plus sub-labels NovaMute, The Grey Area, and Parallel Series, alongside the Mute Song publishing arm (over 100,000 songs) and the Mute Bank direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop for vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital releases.
Product overview
Mute is an independent record company founded by Daniel Miller in 1978, operating as a multi-label group with several subsidiary imprints. The core Mute Records label represents established and emerging artists across electronic, experimental, post-punk, and alternative genres. Supporting operations include Mute Song (publishing with 100,000+ song catalogue), NovaMute (electronic music sub-label), The Grey Area and Parallel Series (experimental sub-labels). The company also operates Mute Bank, an e-commerce platform for physical and digital releases, and curates themed playlists including New From Mute, Mute Mixtape, and NovaMute. Mute has offices in London and New York.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NovaMute: Electronic and experimental music label subsidiary under Mute.
- The Grey Area
- Parallel Series
- Mute Song
Products and services
- Mute Records Artist Releases Recorded music catalog from the Mute Records roster (including Depeche Mode, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Erasure, Moby, Goldfrapp, New Order, Swans, Can, Laibach, and newer artists), distributed in physical and digital formats to music consumers worldwide.
- NovaMute Releases Electronic music releases on the NovaMute sub-label, available on vinyl and digitally, targeted at electronic music listeners.
- Mute Song Publishing Music publishing administration service representing songwriters and composers, administering a catalogue of over 100,000 songs including works by Nick Cave, Kali Malone, Max Richter, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and Public Service Broadcasting.
- Sync Licensing Licensing of Mute-owned and Mute Song-administered recordings and compositions for use in film, television, advertising, and video games, handled through dedicated licensing contacts.
- Mute Bank Online Shop Direct-to-consumer online shop offering Mute catalogue releases in physical formats (vinyl, CD, cassette, limited edition colored vinyl) and digital downloads to music consumers.
Companies that use Mute
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Mute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Spoon RecordscorePartnership with Can's own Spoon Records for the Can Live series releases. Mute and Future Days (new EU label by Spoon Records) jointly release live recordings from Can's extensive catalogue.
- Future DayscoreNew EU label created by Spoon Records for Can releases. Partnership with Mute for distribution of Can Live series in European territories.
- LindstrømminorNorwegian DJ/producer who created remix of Ora The Molecule's 'Intergalactic Dance' for Dance Therapy Deluxe edition.
- Midnight MagicminorDance duo who created remixes of Ora The Molecule tracks for Dance Therapy Deluxe edition.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Warp Records: UK independent electronic and experimental label with a comparable artist roster, multi-decade catalog, and sub-label structure (e.g., Warp sub-imprints). Closest analog to Mute in scope, cultural positioning, and electronic/alternative genre focus.
- XL Recordings: UK independent label with comparable artist roster (The Prodigy, Adele, Radiohead, Jamie xx) and global distribution reach via Beggars Group. Highly comparable in independent status, genre breadth, and artist development model.
- 4AD: UK independent label with deep catalog (Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Big Thief) under the Beggars Group. Comparable in indie positioning, alternative/experimental artist development, and catalog licensing model.
- Rough Trade Records: UK independent label and record store hybrid founded 1978. Directly comparable in vintage, independent positioning, alternative/indie artist roster, and physical retail integration through Rough Trade shops.
- Domino Recording Company: UK independent label with similarly long-tenured artist relationships (Franz Ferdinand, Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys). Comparable scale, indie credibility, and publishing/admin services via Domino Publishing.
- Sub Pop Records: US-based independent label with comparable artist roster (Nirvana, Beach House, Father John Misty) and indie/alternative positioning. Similar vintage (founded 1986) and global distribution reach.
- Kompakt Records: German independent electronic label founded 1993 with comparable electronic/techno focus. Most directly comparable to NovaMute specifically, sharing electronic genre positioning and European producer roster.
- One Little Independent Records: UK independent label founded 1985 with comparable alternative/electronic roster. Similar independent status, scope, and long-term artist development model.
- Cooking Vinyl: UK independent label with comparable artist roster (The Prodigy, Billy Bragg, The Darkness) and artist-friendly deal structures. Comparable scale and indie label positioning in the UK market.
Broad incumbents
- Mute Song (publishing arm) comparable publishers: BMG Rights Management: Large global music publisher and rights administrator with catalogs in the hundreds of thousands. Comparable to Mute Song on the publishing/admin side, though much larger and broader in commercial scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mute social profiles
Digital presenceMute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Mute subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Mute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mute 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 Mute
What does Mute do?
Mute is an independent record label founded by Daniel Miller in 1978 that signs, develops, and distributes recorded music from a roster of artists across electronic, experimental, post-punk, and alternative genres. The group operates the core Mute Records imprint plus sub-labels NovaMute, The Grey Area, and Parallel Series, alongside the Mute Song publishing arm (over 100,000 songs) and the Mute Bank direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop for vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital releases.
Is Mute a public or private company?
Mute is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mute founded?
Mute was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mute based?
Mute is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Mute make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Record Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensing and Sync, publishing (Mute Song) and merchandise and Direct Sales.
Who are Mute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Warp Records, XL Recordings, 4AD, Rough Trade Records, Domino Recording Company, Sub Pop Records, Kompakt Records, One Little Independent Records and Cooking Vinyl. Mute Song (publishing arm) comparable publishers: BMG Rights Management is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Mute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mute.
What industry is Mute in?
Mute's product category is Independent Record Label. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAA, Record Labels (Major & Independent), with a secondary code of MPAIABAF, Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation). Its NAICS code is 51225 and its SIC code is 3652.