mau5trap Opens Submissions for We Are Friends Vol. 13

A Platform for Emerging Talent

mau5trap, the label deadmau5 founded nearly two decades ago, has opened submissions for the 13th installment of We Are Friends, its long-running compilation series dedicated to discovering new electronic music producers. The series has a track record of launching careers, with alumni including REZZ and the late i_o, both of whom went from unknowns to headliners after appearing on earlier volumes.

Hands-On A&R Process

mau5trap A&R Jimi Frew says the label's curation philosophy centers on instinct and cultural fit. At mau5trap, music is taste, instinct, timing, culture and soul, he explains. WAF has always been about that kind of listening. We ask, does this track something unique, and does it belong in the mau5trap catalog?

The label emphasizes that its small team listens to every submission personally, but asks producers to respect the process by sending only polished, release-ready material. The demo submission page states that mau5trap receives a huge number of submissions and approaches each with care and real effort, requesting no works-in-progress or half-finished ideas.

Deadline and Next Steps

Submissions for We Are Friends Vol. 13 close at the end of July 2026. Producers can submit through the label's demo portal.