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The music industry is quite the cut-throat kind of world. Making it to the top becomes increasingly more difficult, particularly within the last decade. With technology putting out their endless platforms for anyone to put their art out there, competition has never been tougher. And consequently, making it big has never been such a challenge.
Within the music industry, we should pay particular attention to electronic artists. Considered to be directed towards quite the niche public, this genre has been able to make its way into mainstream music and harnessed more and more fans over the course of the years.
DJs are now some of the most successful and highest-paid entertainers out there, and their bank accounts are something to aspire to. Let's take a look at the 10 highest-paid DJs of 2019 so far, according to Forbes!
Armin van Buuren - $15 million
At 42 years of age, Armin van Buuren can be considered quite the veteran of electronic music. This Dutch-born DJ has been in the game since 1996, and to this day he remains one of the best amongst his peers, snatching honors and breaking records left and right. He's been considered the number one DJ by DJ Mag for five consecutive times, and he was nominated for a Grammy Award back in 2014.
In addition to the six studio albums he's released, Armin van Buuren has hosted A State of Trance for almost a decade now. This radio show reaches nearly 40 million listeners in 84 countries, which contributes greatly to his popularity. No wonder he gets paid the big bucks!
Zedd - $17 million
Don't let the baby face fool you! At only 29 years old, the Russian-German is already making more than most of us will make with a lifetime of work. He was relatively quick to reach mainstream fame, topping the Billboard Hot 100 list at eigth place with his song "Clarity." He also won a Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2014, so success is one of the first words that come to mind when thinking about Zed.
He has collaborated with extremely successful mainstream artists, including Alessia Cara, Maren Morris, and Ariana Grande. He's performed at some pretty incredible events, including Coachella and the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Pretty impressive, and it shows on the dollar signs!
David Guetta - $18 million
It doesn't really matter whether or not you're into electronic music. There's always bound to be a set number of artists that you've heard playing on the radio several times, and even more that you've heard someone boast about on the street. David Guetta is, of course, one of these artists, and also a true veteran.
This French DJ had been considered to be the best DJ in the world by several publications and has more hit singles under his wing than we can count. He's behind some of the most iconic anthems of the past decade, and he's released seven studio albums. He also won a Grammy and he's consistently been nominated for other such honors. The future surely holds something great for Guetta!
Martin Garrix - $19 million
Dutch people seem to have a knack for all things electronic music. Martin Garrix is one of the youngest and most successful DJs out there. He's only 23 years old, but he's already reached millionaire status, and for good reason, too! At the age of 8, he realized he found the art of making and producing music extremely compelling, and he pursued his passion.
This drive led him to become the electronic music icon he is today. One of his greatest achievements was closing the Winter Olympics in 2018, which further propelled him into international stardom. Garrix also headlined Tomorrowland, and he keeps touring the world, putting a smile on people's faces.
Tiësto - $24 million
Yet further proof that Dutch-born people make extremely talented electronic musicians is DJ Tiësto. The now 50-year-old has received some pretty incredible honors, which include being named the Greatest DJ of All Time by Mix magazine and best DJ of the last 20 years by the readers of DJ Mag. Impressive doesn't even begin to cover it!
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He's put out five studio albums so far, and has collaborated with some serious giants from the music industry, both from the electronic genre and beyond. Plus, he's also a Grammy winner. With all of this working for him, it's no wonder Tiësto remains one of the highest-paid DJs.
Diplo - $25 million
Taking a jump towards the world of North America, we bring you DJ Diploids. Here's the thing about Diploids — he never bores audiences. The man just can't stand still, and he has a huge number of projects to prove it. For instance, he founded and is one of the members of Major Lazer, he's part of LSD, with Sia and Labrinth, as well as Silk City, along with Mark Ronson. Can you imagine that?
Diplo is behind some of the greatest hits that have topped the charts in the past few years and he's won three Grammy Awards. Yes, three! Not to mention all the other nominations he snatched over the years. It's safe to say he won't run out of income sources any time soon, and we'll be seeing him on this list for years to come.
Steve Aoki - $30 million
Much like David Guetta, Steve Aoki is exactly one of those DJs that are bound to have come your way somewhere, somehow. Probably playing on the radio or headlining a thousand festivals per year, because if this man knows one thing, that's hard work. Born and raised in California, Aoki knows exactly the kind of music that will make a crowd jump.
His list of collaborations goes on and on and includes powerhouses like LMFAO, Iggy Azalea, Louis Tomlinson, among many, many others. With an incredible repertoire of electronic anthems and an enthusiasm hard to match, it's easy to see why Steve Aoki has become a staple of the electronic music scene.
Calvin Harris - $38.5 million
Calvin Harris is so famous, the fact that he dated fellow musician Taylor Swift isn't even one of the most important things about him. Just kidding, the man makes some serious money because he knows his art and his audience better than most industry titans out there. How else can you explain such tremendous success?
Harris is behind pretty much every single summer hit that's been hitting the charts for the past decade, and he's collaborated with everyone that's anyone in the music scene. He's been Grammy-nominated 10 times, one of which he won. Calvin Harris will probably continue putting out music well into his 60's, and we're here for it.
Marshmello - $40 million
Hardcore fans of the electronic genre are more than familiar with Deadmau5, a Canadian DJ who greatly inspired the American DJ Marshmello. His stage persona keeps things fresh, interesting, and unique to a certain extent. But Marshmello's success is mostly due to his incredible talent as a musician.
He has only been around the music scene for a few years, and he already ranks second on the list of highest-paid DJs. If that doesn't tell you something, then nothing will. Marshmello has a brilliant career ahead of him, and if the first few years have proved anything, is that it'll only be up from here!
The Chainsmokers - $46 million
Closer, closer, closer! If you've been paying attention to other lists like these, then you know that this is the first time The Chainsmokers top it as the highest-paid DJs in the world. This American duo has been around for a while, but it was thanks to the single "#Selfie" that they started making some headlines.
They are Grammy award winners, and their song featuring singer Halsey was number one on pretty much every chart around the world once it reached audiences. Everyone is curious to see whether or not they can hold down to the title they just stole from David Guetta. Let's get playing!