Joseph Strange pleads guilty to selling Eminem's unreleased music

Joseph Strange, a 48-year-old former sound engineer for Eminem, has pleaded guilty to federal criminal copyright infringement in a Michigan court. Strange, who worked at the rapper's Ferndale, Michigan studio from 2007 to 2021, admitted to copying and selling unreleased music created by Marshall Mathers.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Strange used his access to password-protected hard drives to copy at least 10 audio files. Between July and August 2024, he sold these files online for approximately $50,000. The stolen material, which included unfinished tracks and studio demos, eventually appeared on public streaming platforms and was accessed more than eight million times by November 2025.

Prosecutors estimate the financial damage from the copyright infringement at least $750,000. While Strange was initially facing additional charges regarding the interstate transportation of stolen goods, he pleaded guilty specifically to the copyright charge. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for January 27, 2027.