DFTBA Records
Independent online merchandise company
title: "DFTBA Records" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-companies-established-in-2008", "dftba-records-creators", "green-brothers", "record-labels-based-in-montana", "record-labels-established-in-2008"] description: "Independent online merchandise company" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DFTBA_Records" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Independent online merchandise company ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| image | DFTBA Records logo.png |
| founded | 2008 |
| founders | Hank Green |
| Alan Lastufka | |
| key_people | John Green (co-owner) |
| Laura Jones Joukovski (CEO) | |
| location | Missoula, Montana (since 2013) |
| num_employees | About 50 |
| num_employees_year | 2022 |
| :: |
| image = DFTBA Records logo.png | founded = 2008 | founders = Hank Green Alan Lastufka | key_people = John Green (co-owner) Laura Jones Joukovski (CEO) | location = Missoula, Montana (since 2013) | num_employees = About 50 | num_employees_year = 2022
DFTBA Records, commonly known as DFTBA.com, is an e-commerce merchandise company that was co-founded by Hank Green and Alan Lastufka in 2008. Originally a record label, the company focuses on selling merchandise for prominent YouTube content creators including Green, his brother the novelist John Green, Charlotte McDonnell, CGP Grey, Kurzgesagt, and Charles Trippy among several others. DFTBA is an initialism for "don't forget to be awesome", a catchphrase of the Green brothers.
Background
The name of the company originates from the initialism "Don't Forget to Be Awesome". The name is generally seen as the motto for the VlogBrothers (consisting of Green, and his brother, John), as well as their fan base, known as Nerdfighteria. The original goal of the record label, as Lastufka said in a video is to provide a distribution network for talented artists of YouTube and to make sure their music reaches out to the "largest audience possible."
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Hank_Green.jpg" caption="Hank Green at an event in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2008, the year he co-founded DFTBA Records"] ::
The offices of DFTBA Records were in Manhattan, Illinois in Lastufka's home, until early 2013 when they moved to Missoula, Montana where Green lives. After moving to Missoula, they set up their warehouse in a small building which was formerly a preschool, but soon moved to a larger warehouse. They increased their number of employees from five to ten and started another webseries called The Warehouse, hosted by warehouse manager Matthew Gaydos. The channel no longer uploads content as Matthew Gaydos works on other YouTube channels. Distribution of records by DFTBA Records is largely independent. Lastufka handled most of the distribution during his tenure as co-owner. On June 18, 2014, he announced his decision to sell his stake in the record label and resigned as president, to pursue other projects. In April 2015, DFTBA Records received a business license in Missoula.
In March 2014, several artists signed under DFTBA Records including Alex Day and Tom Milsom, were involved in sexual abuse accusations. After that all artists which had been accused of having sexual encounters with their fans or of being perpetrators of sexual abuse were dropped from the label. Lastufka made a $1000 donation to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Both Hank and John Green made public announcements on YouTube and Tumblr regarding the situation. Around the same time, a former DFTBA Record-signed artist, Mike Lombardo was sentenced to five years in prison and pleaded guilty on eleven counts of child pornography charges. Lombardo's ex-girlfriend, Hayley G. Hoover, who is also signed under DFTBA Records, spoke out against him.
Merchandise
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Craig_Benzine_(7485833168).jpg" caption="Craig Benzine (WheezyWaiter) at VidCon 2012"] ::
DFTBA Records was originally founded as a music record label. However the company primarily sells merchandise, ranging from T-shirts to buttons. Artists signed to DFTBA Records are not exclusively musical artists. For example, official The Fault in Our Stars merchandise was sold on the website including a limited-edition box set with an audiobook version of the novel. Additionally, the artists responsible for the designs on merchandise, such as apparel or accessories receive royalties for their contributions.
Artists signed under the label have been successful and there has been unforeseen career growth due to signing with the label, such as Craig Benzine and his band, Driftless Pony Club. In 2009, Lastufka said "A lot of [our artists] are very nichey."
References
References
- (2 August 2022). "Why Hank Green can't quit YouTube for TikTok". The Verge.
- (1 June 2014). "John Green's online work (and play) yields smart money". The Indianapolis Star.
- Boedeker, Hal. (June 8, 2014). "'Fault in Our Stars': DFTBA screening". Orlando Sentinel.
- (February 16, 2013). "Obama Uses 'Don't Forget To Be Awesome' In Chat, Internet Freaks Out". Huffington Post.
- (November 24, 2008). "187: Books, DFTBA Records and Holidays". [[YouTube]].
- Lastufka, Alan. "DFTBA Offices".
- Green, Hank. (February 21, 2013). "Little Infinity Packing at DFTBA". YouTube.
- (July 29, 2013). ""The Warehouse" - Episode 1". [[YouTube]].
- Crum, Chris. (September 29, 2009). "Record Label Launched for YouTube Stars". Web Pro News.
- Dieker, Nicole. (July 1, 2014). "Talking to Alan Lastufka About Starting DFTBA Records With Hank and John Green and What's Next". The Billfold.
- Lastufka, Alan. (June 18, 2014). "This morning I sold my entire stake in DFTBA Records.". [[Tumblr]].
- (May 17, 2015). "City of Missoula business licenses issued in April 2015". Missoulian.
- Butterly, Amelia. (March 20, 2014). "Vlogger admits 'manipulative relationships with women'". BBC.
- Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia. (March 14, 2014). "The Tom Milsom abuse scandal and YouTube's troubling cult of worship". The Daily Dot.
- Klima, Jeff. (March 14, 2014). "Alex Day Now Involved In 'Sexual Misconduct' Allegations, Asked To Be Pulled From DFTBA Records As Well".
- Huynh, Terence. (March 20, 2014). "Crossing the line: YouTube community in crisis as sexual assault allegations are made public". TechGeek.au.
- (27 January 2020). "YouTube's First Big Scandal Was Cancel Culture Done Right — What Happened?". www.refinery29.com.
- Gutelle, Sam. (March 18, 2014). "Vlogbrothers Set Up Task Force, Fund Series To Curb Sexual Abuse". Tubefilter.
- (2014-02-28). ""Internet Star" Receives Stiff Prison Sentence".
- (March 18, 2014). "Online community reacts as YouTube celebrity jailed on child porn charges". Independent.ie.
- (27 March 2022). "In 2017, YouTube star Hank Green tracked down a Turkish graffiti artist. Now he's shared his story on TikTok, leading to a huge surge in demand for his work.". Insider.
- Bylin, Kyle. (January 11, 2011). "An Interview With DFTBA Records Co-Founder Alan Lastufka On Running A Digital Music Label". Hypebot.
- Rosi. (November 17, 2011). "Pre-Orders Open for 3,000 Limited Edition "TFIOS" Audiobooks Narrated by John Green". Leaky News.
- Schuth, Louie. (May 16, 2013). "John Green rereleases limited run of self read 'The Fault in Our Stars' audiobook". Hypable.
- Distasio, Christine. (June 19, 2014). "13 'Fault in Our Stars' Items From the Official Store That You Need Right Now, Okay?".
- RedEye, Stephanie Lulay. (December 7, 2009). "I'm with the bandwidth". Chicago Tribune.
- (December 3, 2010). "Community-run music label DFTBA thrives". Blogspot.
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