Joyful Noise is not your standard record label... We are artistic facilitators for a wide variety of adventurous musicians. We aren't focused on any particular genre, nor are we particularly focused on popularity. We value art over commerce, and we exist to empower our artists to create the most meaningful work possible.

Joyful Noise Recordings was founded by Karl Hofstetter as a freshman in college, when he made up a fake label name with the solitary goal of creating a false sense of legitimacy for his band’s CD. Since this “first release” in 2003 Joyful Noise has grown a diverse roster of bands including: Kishi Bashi, Deerhoof, WHY?, Tropical Fuck Storm, Son Lux, Joan of Arc, El Ten Eleven, Swamp Dogg, Ohmme, The Ophelias, Dale Crover, SUUNS, Sleep Party People, Magic Sword, The Low Anthem, No Joy, Danielson, Oneida, Rob Crow, Sound of Ceres, Lou Barlow, and many others. We have also released a slew of limited specialty releases on inventive formats (such as multi-spindle-holed vinyl, cassette box sets, hybrid CD-records, a cymbal-record, etc.), and have created numerous record series such as our VIP Editions and White Label Series. We like to push the boundaries of traditional formats, and make our physical releases as artful as the music they contain.

Joyful Noise is run by a small group of just 10 people who strive to create one of the most artist-friendly labels on the planet, both in terms of artistic freedom and financial transparency. We also believe in social justice, and often use our label platform to organize benefit releases for struggling or marginalized communities around the world. We even started a cult to help struggling musicians. 

Our home base is in the great city of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Joyful Noise Recordings

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