The Chainsmokers are independent for the first time in more than a decade. On October 13, Alex Pall and Drew Taggart told fans they had parted ways with Columbia Records and Disruptor Records, the Sony Music partnership that carried them from blog remixes to stadium headliners. Three days later they put out “Baby,” the first single of the Chainsmokers independent era, credited solely to their own company, Secondhand Happiness, Inc.
How The Chainsmokers Announced the Split
The news landed on X and Instagram. “After 11 amazing years, we are now independent artists,” the duo wrote, thanking their team at Columbia/Disruptor and admitting they had “no idea what to expect” from the next chapter. They closed with a line aimed squarely at fans who have waited a long time for a full project: “we know we owe you some records!”
The wording caused a brief scare. Some followers read the post as a breakup, and the pair returned to clarify that the act is not splitting up, joking that their “blood vows” would not allow it, as We Rave You reported. They also invited questions from fans and from other artists weighing a similar move.
The label exit follows a management change. According to Digital Music News, the duo dissolved their management deal with Disruptor founder Adam Alpert in 2025. In a LinkedIn post the week before the announcement, Pall described bringing in people without long shared history and wrote that “this wasn’t even about anyone doing a bad job,” adding that “sometimes it’s just time to shake things up, even when everything’s working fine.”
“Baby”: The First Release on Secondhand Happiness
“Baby” arrived on Friday, October 16. It runs 3:48 and is listed on Apple Music as a solo Chainsmokers single, with no featured artist billed. EDMTunes describes it as an upbeat breakup song with a nod to the duo’s early sound and reports that the vocal comes from Ilsey Juber, the songwriter behind “Roses” and “All The Time.” Streaming listings do not credit her by name, so that detail rests on EDMTunes’ reporting for now.
The duo framed it plainly on social media as their first record as independent artists, and Beatport lists Secondhand Happiness as the label.
What Actually Changed on Paper
Secondhand Happiness is not brand new. It already sat on the duo’s 2026 releases, but as a licensor. The rights line on April’s “Echo” and May’s Love Is Kind EP, both made with Oaks, reads “Secondhand Happiness, Inc., under exclusive license to Disruptor Records/Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment.”
On “Baby,” that license language is gone. The listing simply reads “℗ 2026 Secondhand Happiness, Inc.” In practical terms, the company that already held the recordings is now releasing them itself instead of handing them to Sony for exclusive exploitation.
One key detail is still unconfirmed: who handles distribution. Neither the duo nor any of the outlets covering the move has named a distribution partner, and housemusic.us could not verify one. Independent acts at this scale usually work with a distributor or services company, so expect that piece to surface as more music arrives.
Eleven Years at Columbia/Disruptor
The Chainsmokers signed to Disruptor, Alpert’s joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment, in April 2015. What followed was one of the biggest commercial runs any dance act has had. “Don’t Let Me Down” with Daya won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording, “Closer” with Halsey gave them their first Billboard Hot 100 number one, and “Something Just Like This” with Coldplay became a global staple.
Albums came steadily through that partnership: Memories…Do Not Open, Sick Boy, World War Joy and So Far So Good. Digital Music News notes the duo were the highest paid DJs in the world in 2019.
Why It Matters for Dance Music
Few dance acts have ever had more leverage with a major than The Chainsmokers did at their peak. Walking away with a working company already in place says a lot about where the economics sit in 2026: an act with a large live business, a deep catalog and direct reach to millions of followers can fund and market singles without a major label front end.
It also fits how the duo has worked lately. Their recent output has leaned on collaborations across camps, including “ALL THE TIME” with John Summit and Ilsey, released in March on Summit’s Experts Only imprint with Darkroom.
The timing is notable too. The duo’s 2026 touring has made headlines for the wrong reasons, from the San Jose concert where 14 people were taken to hospital to the stage collapse at Vanderbilt. Digital Music News reports those incidents are unrelated to the team changes.
What Comes Next
No album, tracklist or release calendar has been announced. What the duo has said is that they want to “have fun and experiment,” and that they know fans are owed more music. With “Baby” out and Secondhand Happiness now releasing on its own, the next test is how quickly they follow it up, and who they bring in to help distribute and promote it.
FAQ
Are The Chainsmokers independent now?
Yes. On October 13, 2026, they announced they had left Columbia Records and Disruptor Records after 11 years and now release music as independent artists.
Did The Chainsmokers break up?
No. Some fans read the announcement that way, but Alex Pall and Drew Taggart clarified that the duo is staying together.
What is Secondhand Happiness?
It is the duo’s own company. It previously licensed their recordings to Disruptor/Columbia and is now the sole label credited on “Baby.”
When did “Baby” come out?
“Baby” was released on Friday, October 16, 2026, as their first single as independent artists.
Who distributes The Chainsmokers’ music now?
That has not been confirmed publicly as of October 18, 2026.
The Chainsmokers spent 11 years building one of dance music’s biggest catalogs inside a major label system. With “Baby,” they are now releasing on their own terms, and the follow up will show what that freedom sounds like.
