Experts Only
Experts Only is a New York-based independent record label founded by John Summit, focused on underground and experimental electronic dance music. It operates across recorded music releases, a flagship annual festival, and direct-to-consumer merchandise serving EDM artists and fans globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Experts Only does
Experts Only is a New York-based independent record label brand founded by EDM artist John Summit, operating under the ethos of "music without limits." The label focuses on underground, experimental, and boundary-pushing electronic and dance music, providing artists a release platform outside the creative constraints of traditional labels. It serves two primary customer segments: signed and affiliated EDM artists (30+) seeking artistic freedom, and dance music enthusiasts and festival-goers consuming its releases and live events.
The company's product portfolio spans recorded music releases distributed through Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube; the annual Experts Only Festival as its flagship live event (debuting to a sold-out crowd in 2025 and expanding to 50,000-plus capacity across three curated stages for the 2026 New York edition); and a direct-to-consumer merchandise line sold through an owned e-commerce storefront (Ski Show Collection, Tour Merch, Best Sellers, and Last Chance). Supporting offerings include Experts Only Radio, recorded live sets, and an official Spotify playlist. Operating credentials include the #1 Beatport record label ranking in 2024, multiple platinum releases, and 50+ global shows produced. Festival production for the 2026 edition is delivered through core partnerships with Medium Rare, Relentless Beats, and EMW.
Revenue is generated through three streams: streaming royalties and digital distribution from the music catalog, ticket sales from the annual festival, and merchandise sales through the owned e-commerce channel. Distribution mixes global streaming platforms for music, direct-to-consumer e-commerce for merchandise, and regional live event execution via production partners for the festival. The brand is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding rounds; operations are independent under John Summit's personal ownership.
Experts Only firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Experts Only
- Legal name
- Experts Only
- Website
- https://expertsonlyrecs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Experts Only is a New York-based independent record label founded by John Summit, focused on underground and experimental electronic dance music. It operates across recorded music releases, a flagship annual festival, and direct-to-consumer merchandise serving EDM artists and fans globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Experts Only industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Record Label / Music Production
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)
Keywords
Where Experts Only is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Experts Only 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
- Music/Release Revenue: Record label releases music from artists on the label, generating revenue through streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube), digital downloads, and potential licensing deals.
- Festival/Ticket Sales: The Experts Only Festival generates revenue through ticket sales for the annual multi-day event, with 2026 edition expanding to 50,000+ capacity across three curated stages.
- Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including Ski Show Collection, Tour Merch, and general apparel sold through the e-commerce storefront.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Experts Only product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Experts Only is a record label brand founded by John Summit that signs and releases dance music from artists under the ethos of 'music without limits,' focusing on boundary-pushing and experimental electronic music. The label also produces the Experts Only Festival, an annual multi-day live event in unique global locations, and sells branded merchandise through an e-commerce storefront.
Product overview
Experts Only is a single unified record label brand founded by John Summit, built around the core ethos of 'music without limits.' The portfolio includes the Experts Only Record Label as the primary product, the Experts Only Festival as a live events pillar producing large-scale dance music festivals, Experts Only Merch as a branded merchandise line, and music distribution through releases, radio shows, live sets, and curated playlists. The label achieved #1 Record Label on Beatport in 2024 and has 30+ artists, 50+ global shows, and platinum releases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- #1 Record Label on Beatport 2024
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Experts Only
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Experts Only technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Experts Only partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Medium RarecoreFestival production partner for the Experts Only Festival, collaborating on event execution and immersive experiences for the 2026 edition in New York City.
- Relentless BeatscoreFestival production partner contributing to the Experts Only Festival production, enhancing the event's reach and execution capabilities for North American audiences.
- EMWcoreFestival production partner for the Experts Only Festival, supporting event production and immersive experience delivery.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Experts Only competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Big Beat Records: Atlantic Records' electronic music imprint. Broader incumbent focused on EDM releases with major-label backing; overlaps with Experts Only in dance music catalog distribution.
- Spinnin' Records: One of the largest established electronic music labels globally. Broader incumbent with deeper catalog and resources; overlaps with Experts Only in EDM release distribution.
Direct peers
- Mad Decent: Diplo-founded independent electronic/dance label with global touring and event production. Comparable artist-founded label with festival and tour infrastructure.
- Dirtybird Records: Independent house/tech-house label founded by Claude VonStroke with associated festival events (Dirtybird Campout). Comparable boutique independent dance label with curated artist roster.
- Insomniac Records / Insomniac Events: Closely comparable independent electronic music platform combining a record label with massive festival production (EDC, Beyond Wonderland). Operates a label-to-festival flywheel directly analogous to Experts Only's model.
- Armada Music: Largest independent electronic music label globally, founded by Armin van Buuren. Comparable independent EDM label with deep artist roster, festival partnerships, and multi-revenue stream model.
- Anjunabeats: Above & Beyond-founded independent dance music label with group therapy events and global touring. Comparable founder-led independent EDM label with curated roster and live-event ecosystem.
- mau5trap: Deadmau5's independent electronic music label with associated live events. Highly comparable artist-founded EDM label with a creative-freedom ethos similar to Experts Only's 'music without limits.'
- Afterlife Records: Independent melodic techno label and event series with global touring productions. Comparable boutique electronic label with integrated live-event business.
- OWSLA: Skrillex-founded independent electronic label focused on boundary-pushing bass and dance music. Highly comparable artist-founded label with experimental ethos similar to Experts Only.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Experts Only social profiles
Digital presenceExperts Only financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Experts Only leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Experts Only funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Experts Only 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 Experts Only
What does Experts Only do?
Experts Only is a record label brand founded by John Summit that signs and releases dance music from artists under the ethos of 'music without limits,' focusing on boundary-pushing and experimental electronic music. The label also produces the Experts Only Festival, an annual multi-day live event in unique global locations, and sells branded merchandise through an e-commerce storefront.
Is Experts Only a public or private company?
Experts Only is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Experts Only founded?
Experts Only was founded in -1.
Where is Experts Only based?
Experts Only is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Experts Only make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Music/Release Revenue is the primary driver. The others are festival/Ticket Sales and merchandise Sales.
Who are Experts Only's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Big Beat Records and Spinnin' Records. Direct peers are Mad Decent, Dirtybird Records, Insomniac Records / Insomniac Events, Armada Music, Anjunabeats, mau5trap, Afterlife Records and OWSLA.
Does Experts Only have an API?
No public API is recorded for Experts Only.
What industry is Experts Only in?
Experts Only's product category is Record Label / Music Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAA, Record Labels (Major & Independent), with a secondary code of MPAGAAAB, Music Festival Organizers & Promoters. Its NAICS code is 711320.