How The 'Fastest Rising' DJ Grew His Millions

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The rise to global stardom and entering the electric circles grew at an astronomical rate for Martin Garrix. His fresh dance music and electrical beats have led him to headline festivals everywhere, mentor artists, and reach the top spot in the DJ Mag’s Top 100 for two years. His passion and love for producing good music have cultivated him into a cultural phenomenon that inspires budding producers and fans. While many have tried to recreate his success story, not many have impacted that Martin Garrix did. His music, record label, and shows have amassed him a $22 million net worth at 25.

While fame can be a daunting part of life at a young age, Garrix has handled it gracefully yet had a few struggles trying to get a grip of reality. He is one of the top DJs in the world and is best known for his entertaining shows. Let’s take a look at the story of Martin Garrix.

Starting Young From Home

Martin Garrix was inspired to make music at eight years of age after watching Dutch DJ Tiësto perform at the Athens Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2004. Once he began engaging in music and learning to play the guitar, his father built him a treehouse with added speakers in 2006, so the ten-year-old could practice music and enhance his growing talent. He spent his mid-teens teaching himself to play songs and produce music. In 2013, Garrix released music under Tiësto’s label Music Freedom. Working with his idol was a dream come true for the young DJ.

When Garrix turned fifteen, he was signed by the Dutch record label Spinnin' Records, which works under Warner Media Group. He released his 2013 single Animals, which took the world by storm. According to DJ City, he became the youngest ever DJ producer with a song on the top spot at Beatport. While many artists dream of earning the No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart, Garrix achieved that feat in the UK and several other countries around the world.

Championing The Pressure Of Fame

Martin Garrix was only 16 when Animals had taken over the world and became the most played song at every event and club. The dance floor track has received pop song status in many areas. After the craze had died down, he felt immense pressure to create a new track that was better than his previous one. As stated by We Rave You, he overcame personal barriers and tried to take the stress off himself before making any new music.

One of the other factors that triggered the talk about mental health was the untimely death of his friend and fellow DJ Avicii at the age of 29. The artists worked together and produced the hit track Waiting For Love with John Legend. His death was an introspective point for Garrix where the life of parties and staying up at night could harm mental health. Garrix admitted that he had observed an increased awareness in the DJ community about looking after each other and taking a much-needed break after Avicii’s death.

By making mature decisions, Martin Garrix has conquered every challenge and performed to the best of his abilities. In 2019, he had two Las Vegas residencies at clubs Ushuaïa Ibiza and Omnia Las Vegas, where DJs such as Calvin Harris have worked in the past. As mentioned by Omnia Clubs, he has made collaborations with artists such as Bebe Rexha, Dua Lipa, Usher, Troye Sivan, David Guetta, and Khalid over the years.

Rising To The Top, Slowly

Along with his successful career as a DJ, Martin Garrix is the label owner of STMPD RCRDS. Founded in 2016, the artist decided to launch the label after having disputes over music rights with his previous label, Spinnin’ Records. Owned by the parent company Sony Music, the platform was created to curate artists from various genres.

Young and charming, Martin Garrix also caught the eye of several high-end brands who wanted him as their ambassador. He has been promoting Tag Heuer since 2015 and became an ambassador for Armani Exchange in 2017. In 2019, he earned a collaboration with AXE, and his latest partnership came in April 2021 when JBL signed him to endorse their brand, as noted by EDM. Garrix was also a part of the 2017 Netflix documentary What We Started and published author of the book Martin Garrix Life = Crazy.

Garrix is also a philanthropist at heart and has conducted special charity shows worldwide to make donations in support of providing quality education to children, Earthquake relief, and empowering vulnerable communities. From watching Tiësto perform at the Olympics on the television, Garrix headlined the closing ceremony at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, which was a full-circle moment in his life. The DJ has currently formed an electric duo group called Area21 with Maejor. The duo cryptically announced their formation in 2016 but took a two-year hiatus during the pandemic and is set to return.

Martin Garrix has had a busy yet engaging career until now, and it won’t be a surprise to see him keep growing with years to come. His collaborations have made his dreams as an eight-year-old come true as he performed music with his idols. His newest album with Maejor as Area21, called Greatest Hits Volume 1, is set to release on November 12, 2021.

Sources: DJ City, We Rave You, Omnia Clubs, EDM