# Mute Records discography
[Mute Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/mute-records) is a British record label founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller, whose release catalog is defined above all by electronic, synth-pop, and industrial music, from [Depeche Mode](https://www.edgepedia.org/depeche-mode), Yazoo, and Erasure to Fad Gadget and DAF.[1](https://mute.com/about/) • [2](https://www.discogs.com/label/26391-Mute) This article covers that electronic core and the corporate and catalog history behind it.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1978, by Daniel Miller, with The Normal's "TVOD" / "Warm Leatherette"[1](https://mute.com/about/) |
| First release | The Normal, "Warm Leatherette / T.V.O.D.", MUTE 001, October 1978[3](https://musicbrainz.org/label/e0b106a5-4add-4839-9e40-c192457e1bf8) |
| First album series entry | DAF, "Die Kleinen und die Bösen", STUMM 1, 13 June 1980[3](https://musicbrainz.org/label/e0b106a5-4add-4839-9e40-c192457e1bf8) |
| Independence | 2010 relaunch as Mute Artists Ltd., trademark licensed from EMI[2](https://www.discogs.com/label/26391-Mute) |
| Publishing arm | Mute Song[1](https://mute.com/about/) |
## Overview and scope
Mute began as Miller's vehicle for his own one-off single, released under the pseudonym The Normal, and grew into a label whose identity is electronic and experimental pop.[1](https://mute.com/about/) • [2](https://www.discogs.com/label/26391-Mute) The label operates with the subsidiaries NovaMute, The Grey Area, and Parallel Series, plus Mute Song, its publishing arm.[1](https://mute.com/about/)
The corporate entity predates some of the records it carries: the first legal entity was incorporated on 17 March 1982 as "Jayway Limited" (company 01622637).[4](https://www.discogs.com/label/636-Mute-Records-Ltd)
## The early years: industrial and electronic foundations (1978–1981)
The label's first release set its template. The Normal's "Warm Leatherette / T.V.O.D." appeared as MUTE 001 in October 1978, a minimal synthetic 7-inch issued by Miller himself.[1](https://mute.com/about/) • [3](https://musicbrainz.org/label/e0b106a5-4add-4839-9e40-c192457e1bf8) Albums took a parallel prefix: the first STUMM-numbered album was DAF's "Die Kleinen und die Bösen" (STUMM 1), released 13 June 1980.[3](https://musicbrainz.org/label/e0b106a5-4add-4839-9e40-c192457e1bf8)
## Depeche Mode and the synth-pop boom (1981–1990s)
From 1982 the band's singles moved to their own BONG series: "Leave In Silence" was BONG 001, released 16 August 1982.[5](https://wwrdb.com/info/catalog_label.php?19=) The same pop boom brought Yazoo, whose "Only You" carried MUTE 020 on 15 March 1982, and Erasure, whose "The Two Ring Circus" was LSTUMM 035 (7 December 1987).[5](https://wwrdb.com/info/catalog_label.php?19=)
Note what the sourced numbers do and do not show: individual single and album numbers are documented in detail, but no source in this entry verifies a full album-by-album STUMM run for Depeche Mode, so such a list is not given here.
## Catalogue numbering and imprints explained
Mute's catalog numbers are the clearest map of its release strategy. Singles carry the MUTE prefix (MUTE 001 in 1978, MUTE 020 for Yazoo in 1982); Depeche Mode singles were moved to the artist-specific BONG series; albums use STUMM, with variants such as LSTUMM for some releases.[3](https://musicbrainz.org/label/e0b106a5-4add-4839-9e40-c192457e1bf8) • [5](https://wwrdb.com/info/catalog_label.php?19=) Two suffix conventions apply across the label: a "P" prefix generally denotes promo copies and an "L" prefix generally denotes limited editions.[2](https://www.discogs.com/label/26391-Mute) The numbering therefore separates format, artist, and marketing status at a glance: a BONG number identifies a Depeche Mode single, an LSTUMM number a variant album pressing, and a P-prefixed number a promo.
The official site lists NovaMute, The Grey Area, and Parallel Series among the current subsidiaries.[1](https://mute.com/about/)
## Ownership, catalog and distribution: the EMI sale to the BMG/UMG era
The catalog has changed hands twice in its core ownership. In 2010 Miller made an agreement with EMI to run Mute as an independent label again, licensing the trademark from EMI via his company Mute Artists Ltd., but EMI kept the rights to the back catalog.[2](https://www.discogs.com/label/26391-Mute) The registry trail records the sale of Mute Holdco Ltd. to BMG subsidiary The Echo Label Ltd. on 30 April 2013, with ownership transferred to [BMG Rights Management](https://www.edgepedia.org/bmg-rights-management) (UK) Limited on 28 March 2019; the registered address since 17 December 2024 is 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London.[4](https://www.discogs.com/label/636-Mute-Records-Ltd)
Distribution arrangements followed the ownership splits, and this is where the record is least settled.
## References
1. About – Mute (official label site) — https://mute.com/about/
2. Mute Discography | Discogs — https://www.discogs.com/label/26391-Mute
3. Mute – MusicBrainz — https://musicbrainz.org/label/e0b106a5-4add-4839-9e40-c192457e1bf8
4. Mute Records Ltd. | Discogs — https://www.discogs.com/label/636-Mute-Records-Ltd
5. World Wide Release DataBase | Mute | Catalography — https://wwrdb.com/info/catalog_label.php?19=
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Record label and agency discographies › Electronic, dance, and industrial label discographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license