Right now, EDM is one of the hottest music trends in the industry. What was once an underground dance scene is now being embraced worldwide, and it’s been propelling plenty of artists to substantial success.

The issue with electronic music right now is that it’s arguably one of the hardest genres to stand out in. The materials needed to produce it are absolutely ubiquitous. All someone really needs is an iPad to get started. Also, the nature of dance music is to mix it into long sequences without breaks, which often obscures the artists being played. 

A popular EDM musician has to be clever and creative if they’re going to stand out, rather than being lost in the mix.

Three Tips For Becoming Known In EDM

1 – Don’t pre-program everything.

One problem associated with DJing and EDM music production is that it starts becoming questionable how necessary the human is to the show.  When shows are entirely pre-programmed with choreographed lighting, the person behind it risks becoming the least important thing onstage.

Don’t lose the spontaneous element entirely.  Some programming is necessary, but make sure people can hear your own contributions to the music or show.

2 – Name-drop as much as possible.

Years back, friends and I noticed how electronic/industrial pioneers KDFDM name-drop themselves in seemingly every song. Little did we know how well they read the music trends.   

When a KDFDM track plays, everyone knows who wrote it. Even to this day, when they get sampled, there’s usually a “KDFDM” in there somewhere.

If your material will be sampled and mixed into long playlists, start name-dropping yourself. Another alternative would be to create a true “signature sound,” a custom-built sample that you work into all your tracks.

3 – Mix & Match Styles 

Vary up your sound as much as you can – people are tiring quickly of the stereotypical analog beeps and buzzes. Try a blend of organic and electronic elements. Alternatively, look to integrate world music. Unusual foreign\tribal\folk music can quickly add interest to a humdrum track.

Which EDM artists do you think are creating the new music trends?