EDM

Although EDM (Electronic Dance Music) is used as a catch-all term by many in the music scene to describe Dance music, it also refers to the kind of big-sounding music produced and played by the likes of Skrillex, Steve Aoki and Marshmello at huge festivals like Ultra and EDC.

While EDM shares similarities with styles like house, including a tempo ranging from 120-130bpm and the 4/4 drum patterns often used, there’s also influence from styles as diverse as dubstep, RnB and pop, clearly heard in the arrangement, synthesis and vocal production techniques used. Although EDM music is heavily pitched towards club or festival situations, the catchy hooks and huge vocal lines make it well suited to commercial radio too, with the concise arrangements made for exactly this purpose.

All of these elements have combined into a well-established music style that’s dominating radio playlists and racking up billions of hits on YouTube and Spotify, as well as selling millions of tickets for events every year (except this one). If you’re looking to start making your own EDM anthems, then we’ve got your back with our unmissable guide on how you can make your own EDM track in a few simple steps.

We're using Ableton Live and plugins available with our sister mag Computer Music, but you can follow along with any DAW and plugins of your choice.