- Darude signs with Active Talent Agency for live music and touring representation across the Rest of the World, with agent Aaron Cook leading the deal.
- The signing comes off the back of Darude's massive STORM 25 World Tour, a 60-plus city, five-continent run, and the release of his new single "HYPE" with Mashd N Kutcher via his own Vibing Out imprint.
- Warner Music Group continues to handle representation in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania, while TMRW Music retains Australia and New Zealand.
- Manager Michelle Virtanen, publicist Urban Rebel PR (worldwide, excluding Finland), and Liekki Promotions (Finland) all continue in their respective roles.
Darude, the Finnish electronic music icon behind one of the most recognizable dance records of all time, “Sandstorm,” has signed with Active Talent Agency for live music and touring representation across the Rest of the World. Agent Aaron Cook will oversee the partnership.
The deal arrives at a career high point. Darude’s STORM 25 World Tour covered more than sixty cities across five continents, cementing his legacy on dancefloors from Sydney to New York and Tokyo to Miami.
He has since released “HYPE,” a collaboration with Australian duo Mashd N Kutcher, out now on his community-focused imprint Vibing Out, the explosive track that served as the closing anthem for the entire STORM 25 run, performed nightly as Darude stepped off the stage and into the crowd.
His music has featured in Hollywood films, global brand campaigns, and major sporting events including the FIFA World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony. A festival mainstay, he has headlined Tomorrowland, Dreamstate, and Parookaville.
Active Talent Agency, the Manchester-based EDM booking powerhouse, has been on a strong run of high-profile additions. Earlier in 2026, the agency welcomed Lee Ann Roberts for worldwide representation, and also DJ Guestlist to its growing roster.
Regionally, Warner Music Group retains representation in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania, while TMRW Music continues in Australia and New Zealand. Manager Michelle Virtanen, Urban Rebel PR for global publicity outside Finland, and Liekki Promotions for Finnish publicity all remain in place.
Takeaways
This signing is a statement move for both sides. Darude isn’t chasing relevance; he’s arriving at Active Talent Agency with a just-completed world tour, a fresh single already burning up festival sets, and more than 25 years of proven global draw.
For Aaron Cook and ATA, landing an artist of Darude’s stature strengthens their case as the go-to agency for serious, legacy-level electronic acts ,not just emerging talent.
The tiered territorial structure, splitting booking duties between ATA, Warner Music Group, and TMRW Music, also shows a sophisticated, market-aware approach to global touring. This isn’t just a booking deal. It’s a blueprint.
With “HYPE” already proven on 60+ tour dates, could this signing fast-track a full HYPE tour on a global scale? Does Darude’s multi-agency territorial setup reflect a new industry norm for how legacy electronic artists structure their global business?
