Forbes ranks the world's highest-paid DJs
Their shows are packed, their hits have millions of YouTube views and their names ring out like rock gods of the past. But if you really need proof that these turntable artists are big deals, take a look at their income.
#1: Calvin Harris ($63 million)
Forbes writes that the Scot had a relatively rough year. He was in a car accident, broke up with pop star Taylor Swift and saw his income drop by about $3 million compared to the year before. But that last point must be the least of his worries, because he still raked in $63 million, making him this year's best paid DJ by a landslide.
#2: Tiesto ($38 million)
The Dutch native Tiesto is next on the list. His nearly $40 million came from over 100 gigs and a lucrative advertising deal with the soft-drink brand 7Up.
#3: David Guetta ($28 million)
The Frenchman was enlisted to create the theme song for the UEFA 2016 European Championship hosted by his home country. This may have earned him a handsome paycheck, but most of his income likely came from regular performances in America's pleasure capital Las Vegas.
#4: Zedd ($24.5 million)
Anton Zaslavski, who was born in Russia but grew up in Germany, joins the list of European's at the summit. The total earnings of the top ten equal $270.5 million. While this is still a pretty penny, it represents a one-percent dip from the year before, the first drop since Forbes started tracking in 2012. This feeds the concern that the industry is passing its prime.
#5: Steve Aoki ($23.5 million)
And here come the Americans. The Floridian Steve Aoki is a giant in the EDM (electronic dance music) scene, known for wild performances that often involve him throwing cakes into the crowd or treating his audience to a champagne shower.
#6: Diplo ($23 million)
In addition to electronic music, Thomas Wesley Pentz, the American better known as Diplo, tries his hand at hip-hop and the Brazilian dance music baile funk. His first album came in 2004 through Big Dada Recordings. He's also well-known through his collaborative projects Major Lazer and Jack Ü.
#7: Skrillex ($20 million)
The DJ and music producer Skrillex, né Sonny John Moore, also hails from the US. His stylistic specialties involve Dubstep, Brostep and Electro. He was also a lead singer for the band From First to Last and, with Diplo, is a member of the music group Jack Ü.
#8: Kaskade ($19 million)
A former music shop owner, the 45-year-old Kaskade sold records before earning his keep by spinning them. His first album came out in 2003, quickly followed in 2004 by "In the Moment," which featured the break-out single "Steppin' Out."
#9: Martin Garrix ($16 million)
Martijn Gerard Garritsen from the Netherlands is the newcomer to the top-ten list. The 20-year-old DJ and music producer made his international breakthrough in 2013 with the song "Animals." He is also known by his second stage name GRX.
#10: Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike ($15.5 million)
The Belgian brothers with Greek origin Dimitri and Michael Thivaios make up the top-earning DJ duo. DJ Mag's latest ranking of the world's top 100 DJ's put them at number one. Their music belongs primarily to the genres Big Room, Electro House and Progressive House.
A German in the running: Felix Jaehn
The 21-year-old tallied over 600 million YouTube views with his 2015 "Cheerleader" remix. His storming of the US charts is all the more surprising given where he lives: in a small town on the coast of the northern Germany. He didn't make it onto the 2016 Forbes ranking, but there's always next year.