Spinnin' successfully appeals ruling in Martin Garrix lawsuit, overturning 2017 decision

There’s a reason we’re starting to see artists shift away from major label endorsements. The story of artists getting the short end of the stick and a label lining their pockets isn’t a new one. It’s not easy to imagine that the younger the artist, the easier it is to lock in a label-favoring contract, which is exactly what Martin Garrix sued Spinnin’ Records and his former management for back in 2015. The hit producer won back the rights to his music in 2017, namely the inescapable “Animals” that made him a star. Though now, the Higher Court of Leeuwarden has overturned the 2017 ruling against MusicAllStars and Spinnin‘, meaning Garrix could be on the hook for revenue lost by the label during the period he owned the masters.

In 2017, the court ruled that Eelko van Kooten had a conflicting interest in Garrix, being both director of MAS Management and Spinnin’ concurrently. The new ruling states that both management and label acted within the boundaries of the law, and Garrix was not adequately proven to have been coerced into signing his first contract. It remains to be seen what costs Garrix will incur as a result of the overturned appeal.