Juno Download Shuts Down After Two Decades in Electronic Music

For more than two decades, Juno Download was the place to go for thousands of DJs and electronic music enthusiasts worldwide. As one of the largest independent online dance music download stores in the world, it offered a wide selection of tracks across numerous genres. Its slightly lower prices also helped make it a favorite download shop for many.

To the surprise of many users, Juno Download has now unexpectedly shut down its operations. The company announced the closure in a goodbye statement on its website: “It’s been our privilege to share some of the most incredible music from the most amazing artists, but we’re sorry to say that the time has come to say goodbye.”

Resident Advisor spoke to Juno Download’s COO Lucas Garcia, who further elaborated on the reasons behind the decision to shut down the platform.

“It’s obviously a sad day, but as streaming has become the dominant model of digital music consumption, artists and labels are now more connected than ever with their fans via social media and ‘direct to fan’ services like Bandcamp, so the role of the music webstore is becoming less significant,” he explained.

Over the past decades, the rise of streaming as the primary way to listen to music has led to the decline of other forms of music consumption, from CDs to non-mobile listening devices that once dominated the market. This shift is driven by factors such as affordability, physical storage limits, ease of sharing, integration with social platforms, and the convenience of not having to manage large numbers of files.

Still, for DJs performing in public, there is no way around purchasing music, since streaming platforms that offer DJ integrations do not grant recording rights. In other words, tracks that are played or recorded in a mix still need to be bought first.

As Music Tech explains, Juno Download was the preferred choice for many due to slightly lower prices. Now, users will have to move on to other platforms, which Juno Download directs them to in its farewell message: “There’s still plenty of great music available from Traxsource, Beatport, Mixupload and Volumo, but for now, this is Juno Download signing off.”

Those who purchased music on Juno do not need to worry. Customers will still be able to download their previously bought tracks directly from their accounts, meaning existing libraries remain accessible even after the shutdown. The platform also notes that support remains available for any account-related issues. “You can download previous orders from your account, and if you need to get in touch, please send us a message, and we will help out however we can,” the platform explains.