Tag: EDM

track IDs: Presents Takes DJ Curation to the Next Level Through Exclusive Pop-Up Shows, Starting With Tale Of Us

March 30, 2023

Photo credit: Daniel Zuliani

Avid dance fans know what it’s like to leave a show and immediately begin searching for a way to relive the experience. That’s why in 2020, Spotify created track IDs, a new suite of playlists co-curated by DJs and Spotify’s editorial team that include the songs DJs play in their sets as well as gems they’ve discovered along the way. In addition to allowing DJs to connect with fans in an entirely new way, these playlists help listeners discover songs they’ve previously heard live and want to find on Spotify.

Last week, we took track IDs to the next level with a new pop-up show series, track IDs: Presents. This yearlong live extension of track IDs capitalizes on the wave of excitement the dance community is feeling as they return to live shows. Fans can look out for pop-up performances featuring select artists and their exclusive sets in unexpected live places—and then find the DJs’ sets reflected in their track IDs Spotify playlists. 

We debuted this series during Miami Music Week and Ultra Music Festival with an exclusive, 200-person show featuring Tale Of Us, an Italian DJ duo based in Berlin. The first-come-first-served performance excited fans, who dropped everything to experience the impromptu, stripped-down set. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Spotify (@spotify)

To understand the ways Spotify engages dance and electronic artists and fans, we spoke to Ronny Ho—Head of Dance and Electronic Development—and Ashley Graver—Head of Dance, Pop, and Indie on the Artist Partnerships Team—fresh off the first track IDs: Presents moment. 

What are track IDs? How have they been used historically?

Ronny: The term track IDs has been used quite a bit for the past few years to refer to how fans and artists alike try to uncover a track that they really like in a DJ set but are unfamiliar with. So today, you’ll see fans across social media or on message boards point out a timestamp on a video of their favorite DJ and say, “What’s the track ID?” For Spotify, specifically, track IDs is a program that we started back in 2020 where we co-create playlists between us and DJs that we select.

Ashley: The playlists really provide DJs with a platform to easily share the tracks from their sets that they would play in live shows. It’s another way for artists to further connect with their fans after the show so fans can rewatch, relive, and listen to their sets on the Spotify platform.

What inspired track IDs on Spotify? What’s been the response?

Ronny: We built the track IDs program during the early days of the pandemic, when there was no live community, nothing that artists could do to share their sets out—except for streaming. So when we launched the track IDs program, it really was a new avenue for fans to connect with the artists who they would normally want to see out at a club or festival. The beauty of naming it “track IDs” was that it was already such a widely used term, so people really were able to gravitate toward it and understand exactly what it was for. Fast-forward to today, we’re working with our global editorial colleagues to continue to launch new track ID playlists that are relevant to their local markets and that really respect the underground culture there.

Fans have been super inspired. The second we started launching these—and we were quite selective about the artists we were working with—we started seeing fans making their own, photoshopping our branding onto homemade versions.

Spotify’s DJ Mixes Provides a Place for Artists To Create Their Music and Grow Their Fan Base

September 29, 2021

Dance and electronic music fans have long enjoyed custom mixes from their favorite DJs as a signature listening experience exclusive to the genre. Today, DJs in eight markets around the world are sharing their own mixed-music content, in addition to high-quality compilations directly on Spotify through its new DJ Mixes, which the company is beginning to test out. 

Available for all users in the U.K., Ireland, the Netherlands, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand, this latest innovation opens up a completely new format for artists to get their music mixes in the hands of their fans and further expand their global audience. 

DJ Mixes provides one integrated place where artists can seamlessly create and connect with their audiences. 

In celebration of today’s launch, DJs AmyElle, Adam Beyer, Shingo Nakamara, MOTi, and Noisia have each released their own individual mixes on our platform.

In addition to the playlists, you can also check out various existing albums and DJ mixes in the Dance/Electronic microhub. DJ Mixes is just beginning to roll out, so fans should expect the experience to continue to evolve over time. Users on iOS and Android who have the Spotify app downloaded can listen for themselves. 

The State of Dance Music, According to Spotify Editors

July 7, 2021

Spotify’s mint playlist is home to the world’s biggest dance hits, with songs that fall under the genre’s many subcategories, including house, techno, electronica, EDM, U.K. garage, and disco. But even though you’ve likely heard dance songs, this vast genre may still be a bit of an enigma. The best people to dispel some myths and mysteries? Spotify’s global team of dance music editors. 

Our editors make up our Global Curation Groups, or GCG’s. As the name suggests, they sit in offices around the world, and they’re in the know on the content that listeners are streaming the most, the new tracks that are about to break, and the trends that come out of these listening habits. Plus, they’re genre experts—as well as fans themselves—who thrive on deep cultural discussions about the music they curate. 

For the Record spoke to the dance GCG about the trends they’re seeing and some of their predictions for the genre this year.

1. Dance music is global.

Dance has roots everywhere, as well as distinct regional genres. Over the past few years, AmaPiano in South Africa has grown, as has Brazilian bass in South America. Russian rave is also having a moment, with more and more artists finding their way to Spotify. We also recently leased an Italo Disco playlist. “It’s just a time for exploration and expansion for the dance base. We’re all going to dance to it at a festival this or next year.”  

2. We’re going to see a rise in dance music this year.

Our editors predict that as everyone comes out from being holed up during the pandemic, dance music will gain even more momentum across its many diverse genres. There’s already been a rise in exploration and innovation in the space, from house to dance pop to slap house. “As listeners head back to the clubs and producers are able to tour again, expect even more noise.”

3. There’s going to be a resurgence in underground and bedroom production.

Indie production has already been on the rise with producers like U.K. artist Fred again.. His collaboration with The Blessed Madonna, single “Marea (We Lost Dancing),” held at the Top 100 for a handful of weeks. This strengthening voice of the underground is reminiscent of the 2014–2016 dance heyday, where EDM producers broke from the internet to conquer the pop charts. Not only is this a testament to the dance renaissance taking place today, but it also  signals how mainstream listeners’ palettes are evolving and adapting to more mature sonics. “We’re seeing a renaissance in the attention that’s paid to the genre, and it’s changing the sound a little.”

4. EDM isn’t dead.

EDM isn’t dead, but it has moved into a dance category that can best be described as “nostalgic.” And this nostalgic audience is fiercely loyal, with a continuing appetite. The dance editorial team built a playlist called Headliners, full of the EDM heyday artists—Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Alesso—after seeing a resurgence in plays among those legacy producers. “We created a genre flagship called EDM, and within a week of launch, it was hovering at 8,000 listeners and the skip rate was ridiculously low. It just shows that the pulse is there, and the audience is there.” 

5. Virality is playing a big part in the future of the genre.

It took the classic dance genre dubstep 10 years to travel to the U.S. after its inception in the U.K. Now, trends come and go a lot more quickly, thanks to the power of the internet and to streaming. The sea shanty trend was big for dance artists, and when the Australian dance group Shouse’s “Love Tonight” got picked up by David Guetta, it went viral for a whole new generation of listeners.  

6. Covers have always been big in dance music. Now, they’re helping to break newer genres.

Tropical house covers were a breakthrough point in German dance pop history in the 2010s. Now, covers are happening again, this time with slap house—whether they’re of a Whitney Houston classic, a ’90s eurodance track, or a song that’s just three years old. These covers, which are in the style of the breakout genre, are now helping that genre gain footing in the mainstream, just as classic house sampling disco did. 

7. Pop is adopting dance—and fans can too.

Dance is getting a new group of followers: pop fans. What our editors call “dance pop” is presenting itself in the work of pop stars like Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware, Lady Gaga, and Raye. “Pop is co-opting dance, just like we saw it do last year with disco. Pop artists don’t realize how much of the dance genre it’s taking for itself, but that’s the hit element of pop—the dance strokes are the uplifting aspect.”

If you’re a pop fan who’s interested in diving into dance, the team recommends a new playlist called crying on the dance floor. “We’re experimenting a little bit with crafting spaces that are more approachable. They’re not as genre focused as melodic house or acid techno, which can be pretty daunting for someone who has no idea what they’re looking for. We’re seeing a lot of crossover between indie and dance, and a lot of crossover between pop and dance. I think that a lot of users don’t realize that they’re listening to dance music.”

Get to know dance and start crying on the dance floor.

Kitchen Raves are the New Craze on Spotify in the UK

April 12, 2021

Even though in-person nightclubs have been closed for the past year, the dance music genre is booming around the world. AmaPiano takes the stage in South Africa, Slap music thrives in Germany, and Russian Rave is also keeping the beat going. And in the UK especially, seasoned clubbers and new fans alike have brought the party to their kitchens, living rooms, and gardens—resulting in a boom in dance music streaming.

Since the start of 2021, Spotify has seen almost 80,000 new playlists created with “dance” in the title globally, and in turn, over 143 million hours of dance music have been streamed this year the world. And, in just the last 90 days alone, there has been a 26% increase in the number of UK playlists with “Kitchen Rave” in the title.

Dance music has kept fans going during lockdown. They’re even reminiscing to the sounds of their favorite venues on repeat. Globally, we have seen an increase in streams of official playlists made by nightclubs, with Oval Space in East London seeing an incredible 300% increase in streams of its official playlist, and perennial London favorite Printworks seeing a 110%+ increase of its own playlist. 

“I know I’m not alone when I say I can’t wait to get back into my favorite venues,” says Spotify dance music editor Christie Driver-Snell. “Whilst we all eagerly await doors re-opening, it has been amazing to see the interest in the genre across the platform with both new and loyal fans turning to tracks to lift their mood, mark the arrival of the weekend, and relive dancefloor moments. With festivals and live events set to start taking place this year, excitement is at its peak. We are seeing this reflected on the platform, with dance having an incredible year on Spotify.’’

When it comes to the most popular artists and tracks, commercial dance has seen the biggest surge in fans. Since the beginning of 2021, Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris took the crown for the most-streamed commercial dance artist, followed by David Guetta and Travis Scott. “Don’t Play” by Anne-Marie, Digital Farm Animals, and KSI was revealed as the top commercial dance track of 2021 so far, followed by “The Business” by Tiësto and “Paradise (feat. Dermot Kennedy)” by Dermot Kennedy and MEDUZA.

Dance music isn’t just fueling our weekends and evenings; it’s also proving popular with fitness fanatics: Joel Correy’s “Lonely” is the most-streamed dance track within Fitness playlists on Spotify, followed by Becky Hill and Sigala’s “Heaven On My Mind (with Sigala)” and MK and Raphaella’s “One Night (feat. Raphaella).”

Throughout that time, DJs, venues, and producers have also kept the party alive by bringing the club scene into homes as dance has gone virtual. Now, Belfast-born, London-based electronic duo Bicep will be taking over Spotify’s flagship alternative electronic music playlist, Altar. The dance duo have nearly 3 million monthly listeners and over a quarter of a million followers on Spotify, with top listeners coming from London, Dublin, Birmingham, Amsterdam, and Bristol. Their takeover sees Bicep bringing all the heft of their euphoric energy and global sound to the playlist.

Whether you’re listening to Dance Pop or one of the other popular sub-genres of dance (Tropical House, EDM, House, Electro House), these stats show that you can keep the party going from any room you’re in.  

Join Peloton Instructors Olivia Amato and Kendall Toole for Their Power Hour Workout Co-Created With deadmau5

August 28, 2020

Throughout their lives and early careers, Peloton instructors Olivia Amato and Kendall Toole always had a love for fitness. Olivia started out working on Wall Street but quickly noticed that taking her clients out for exercise classes and green juices was her favorite part of the job. Kendall was in theater and tech in Los Angeles before becoming a boxing instructor and eventually moving east to New York for her role at Peloton. And they agree there’s one genre that’s perfect for getting in the zone and breaking a sweat: dance and electronic.

Starting today, Olivia and Kendall will be introducing two new Peloton classes to the sound of one of Spotify’s big dance playlists: Power Hour. Peloton members can stream Kendall’s Power Hour Ride on August 30 or Olivia’s Power Hour Run on August 31 for a guided musical fitness experience on the Peloton Tread, Bike or App. What’s more, electronic music producer deadmau5 will be joining the instructors and Spotify for a takeover of our Power Hour playlist, complete with a new single from the producer himself.

“It’s a cool track and was a total wild card of a collaboration,” says deadmau5 about his new single, “Pomegranate – Jay Robinson Remix.” “I’m glad people got to enjoy it this summer and I’m looking forward to having it be a part of people’s workouts. I think they are going to dig getting to experience it with Jay Robinson’s remix.”

We caught up with each instructor for a few minutes between classes to get to know them and learn how they incorporate music into their routines. 

How do you pick the music that goes with your workouts? What elements do you take into consideration? 

Olivia: It depends on what the workout is and what type of mood I’m in. If I’m going to do a HIIT run, I want to do 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, and then build from there. I’ll think back to songs I know with three drops that are 30 seconds each. That’s obviously not always possible, and it definitely takes longer to program that, but I think it’s worth being that specific, because music is the most important thing during a workout. It also depends on the cadence of the song, so the beats per minute, or BPM. A lot of electronic songs can be used while climbing up a hill or on a flat road because they’re usually around 128 BPM, which is good for sprints and pushes. And then you can use a different type of music to get a different vibe for cooldowns. 

Kendall: When I am programming a class, I usually start with what’s inspiring me music-wise, what I feel would be energetic to ride to, or even down to something as simple as the energy and vibe of the song. If there are lyrics in a song that I know I can pick up on or use as a jumping-off point for motivation, it always helps. I think a proper ride and a wonderful workout should have a beginning, middle, and end. It should be no different than if you’re at an incredible concert or listening to an album where every piece of music, every moment, has its place, and it’s building into that story. When a beat drops and builds, I want riders to drop it and go into an effort. 

Tell us about the experience of working with Spotify to create playlists for your class.

Olivia: I have worked with a couple of the people who work on Spotify’s mint playlist in the past. We went through the different songs and different playlists to collaborate on what we thought would mix well together and what would fit the vibe of the class. So similarly for Power Hour, we looked at high-energy, fun music that pushes you forward. So just making sure they all flow nicely into each other, that it tells a good story of starting out.

How did deadmau5’s curation of Power Hour inform the workout you put together?

Kendall: First off, there’s nothing better than seeing an artist that you admire put together a playlist. It’s almost like getting movie commentary from a director’s cut. Where you have someone who’s such a pro at what they do and has such a unique perspective, and is just so committed to their craft, almost giving you a behind-the-scenes piece of what they like and what they’re into and what connects to them. What he’s curated for Power Hour are suggestions for what gets him moving. Then we can put fitness into it. It’s cool because I feel like I get to bring my fitness expertise and marry it with his ability to create and craft incredible music.

How does music help bring the runners and riders together, especially when they’re all doing the workout on their separate treads, bikes, and screens? 

Olivia: I think music is a global unifier, which is exactly what we need, especially right now. It evokes memories and creates memories. So it can create or evoke strength, passion, encouragement. And as it’s doing that, it’s bringing people from all around the world together. It’s a universal language that anybody can understand just based on feeling. For example, I don’t just use music for inspiration when working out. When I need courage or motivation, I put on music. It’s really for everything, and I think a lot of people feel that way.

Kendall: What I love about Peloton is transitioning that love of riding on beat with learning something new. That cadence, that BPM is so important in the way that I structure and program my classes because of this ability to be a unifying factor, especially when you’re teaching people from the comfort of their own home. At times, it’s challenging because you’re not present with them to be able to make corrections or adjustments, so you know you can always rely on that beat, on that BPM to be almost an assistant or an assistant coach, if you will, to what you’re creating and wanting to help people take through in a story of a ride. 

Did you know you can connect your Spotify account to Peloton to save songs from class via the Track Love feature? Simply tap the heart icon on Peloton Bikes & Treads next to the song title, then look for your saved tracks under “My Peloton Music by OnePeloton.”

Check out our previous co-curated Peloton classes inspired by mint & Housewerk, available on demand via Peloton, and look forward to more rides inspired by Spotify’s owned and operated playlists coming soon.

Introducing track IDs: Co-Curated Playlists From the World’s Leading DJs

August 6, 2020

Do you ever dance to your favorite DJ and wonder what track they’re mixing? You’re not alone. We’re always asking “track ID, anyone?” at sets. Now, with a new suite of playlists, Spotify is here to remove the guesswork for dance and electronic music fans.

Our new playlists, track IDs, are co-curated by DJs and Spotify’s editorial team and include songs DJs play in their sets. Each playlist will also include original tracks from the DJ. In addition to allowing DJs to connect with fans in an entirely new way, these playlists will help listeners discover songs they’ve previously heard live and want to find on Spotify.

“It’s no secret the tracks I play are usually unreleased from whichever sounds I’m into at the time,” explains Berlin-based DJ Dixon. “Right now with the usual game on hold, this playlist feels quite personal. Of course there are the floor fillers in there, some from prior to lockdown, some that never have been tested on a dance floor. But I’m more curious to gauge the listeners’ response to the underdogs.”

These playlists, which will be refreshed on a weekly basis, are co-curated by some of the world’s leading DJs, including MK, Aluna, Black Coffee, and Jayda G.

With dance and electronic spanning a wide range of styles and subgenres, these playlists allow fans to listen to music for every bpm, from house and techno to electronica and chill. Discover new favorites with one of our track ID playlists playlist below.

Find all of our track ID playlists here.

Superstar DJs Spin in Sin City, Amp Up Their Streams

June 3, 2019

Las Vegas history may be steeped in the sounds of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr, but today the city beats to a very different drum (and bass). To many, Vegas is now considered home to the best party scene in the US. Visitors from all over the world descend on Sin City’s legendary nightclubs for epic events—headlined by Superstar DJs like Afrojack and Marshmello—that don’t stop until the sun comes up. Apparently, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas—at least when it comes to the work of world-famous DJs. Even after a long wild weekend in the desert, partygoers are likely to keep streaming these world-class EDM artists on repeat.

Imagine that it’s your best friend’s birthday party. You and your friends book a room at the posh Wynn resort. After check-in on Friday night you dance straight into dawn at XS nightclub to a performance by The Chainsmokers, the DJ-producer duo of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart. You take a quick break and sleep from sunrise to noon, then catch a second Chainsmokers show in the desert heat and sunshine—an unparalleled pool party at the Wynn’s over-the-top Encore Beach Club. Somewhere in between the shows or just after, you stream “Closer” or “Something Just Like Us.” You then keep the music playing for weeks to come.

In fact, Vegas visitors who played at least one Chainsmokers track during their stay on the Strip have shown a subsequent 27% increase in the duo’s streaming after they return home. And the Chainsmokers are in good company.  

French DJ David Guetta, who has over 36 million monthly listeners, performed 19 times during a two-month 2018 Vegas residency. There was a subsequent 88% increase in his streams among Spotify users who visited Vegas on one of his show dates. Tiësto, the Dutch DJ currently in residence at the Hakkasan nightclub in the MGM Grand, has seen a 40% increase following a recent set of shows.

And it’s not just EDM stars who now enjoy the long-tail streaming value of a Vegas residency. Lady Gaga, who kicked off her “Enigma” show at the Park MGM at the end of 2018, has seen a 13% bump in streams among Spotify listeners who were in Fabulous Las Vegas on one of her show dates. Cardi B is also scheduling performances at the KAOS day and night club in the newly renovated Palm resort.

Sure, the eye-popping residency contracts that artists sign make for good headlines. But staying put on the Strip allows EDM stars, in particular, to keep fans all the more engaged and streaming, well after they’ve returned home (and to a normal sleep cycle). And every weekend brings a new crowd of potential and diehard fans. Take Tiësto’s word for it: “It’s crazier than I can ever remember, and all the clubs are packed. It’s still going strong.”

Stream a who’s who of EDM in our Dance/Electronic hub, or get streaming right away with mint.

 

The Sounds of the Slopes, from Big Sky to Chamonix

January 30, 2019

Whether you’re skiing the black diamond bowls of Boulder, Colorado, or snowboarding red circle routes in the Swiss Alps, you know that each mountain has a vibe all its own. Turns out, the same holds true for the music streaming slope-side too.

On Spotify, the top songs on tens of thousands of fan-made skiing and snowboarding playlists include hits with heavy synth beats. Think upbeat and energetic: “Midnight City” by M83, “Young Blood” by The Naked And Famous, and “Sail” from AWOLNATION. These can stick in your head for miles of steep downhill routes.

When you break down our streaming data by destination, however, it’s clear that genres speak to each specific ski town’s rhythm during the heart of the season. Take a tour of the sounds streaming off some of the world’s great slopes.

Big Sky (Montana), Boulder (Colorado), Killington (Vermont) – These American skiing staples love their psychedelic rock, jam bands, and folk music, including the likes of Phish and Grateful Dead. Pick a song, any song, and it might just get you all the way down the mountain.

Chamonix (France) – Swedish hip-hop, rock, and pop act as the electro-pumping bass of this mountain.

Grandvalira (Andorra) – Much of the music heard in the small country of Andorra is Spanish (not surprising due to its location). Up-tempo, jam-heavy Argentine rock and ska are particularly popular as well.

Hakuba (Japan), Whistler (Canada) – Although December through March marks summer for Australians, we wouldn’t be surprised if they’re escaping the summer heat by visiting Japan’s Hakuba Olympic ski town and Whistler on Canada’s west coast—as evidenced by the frequency of Australian garage punk and indie fusion played there.

https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX4GC5rzFpboS?si=ambZe8pSTzqBCUdsLVQpmw

Mont Tremblant (Canada) – This quaint Quebec locale loves its French and Québécois-language pop, rock, and indie tracks.

Cap off a day on the slopes—or replicate the feeling of fresh powder—with our After-Ski Classics playlist.

When Do People Listen to EDM?

October 17, 2018

Electronic dance music, or EDM, began as a fringe movement with roots in the diverse music scenes of the ‘70s and ‘80s—disco, Detroit techno, hip-hop, dub, and more. Since then, EDM has become a powerful cultural force with a sound you can hear in everything from mainstream pop to the most arcane, underground electronic genres from around the world.

Central to the concept of electronic dance music, obviously, is the communal act of people getting together in real life to dance in the same place, on the same night, as a shared musical experience. That’s what attendees of the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) will be doing for the next four days (October 17-21).

Yes, this music was created for dancing together, but EDM fans can’t live at the club forever. So when do they stream EDM? The answer surprised us at first, but it actually makes sense:

People think of EDM as nighttime party music, but when it comes to their streaming habits, we see that they’re mostly listening in the afternoons and early evenings—especially on work and school nights. It could be that high-energy EDM music is just what these folks need to get through a stressful afternoon workday.

There’s another factor at play here: People listening to EDM while getting ready for the club. If we go beyond what’s in the chart above, we find that the day with the most EDM listening in the afternoon and early evening is Friday. It’s possible that club goers and party people are streaming EDM as they get ready to go out for the night.

But by late evening and nighttime—the times of day most associated with EDM in our popular imagination—EDM streaming dips lower than at any other time. Apparently, people who love EDM are either listening to something else at night, or they’re out dancing.

What’s also fascinating about EDM is that it bucks the trend of other genres prevalent at certain times, by increasing in the afternoon and evening when other genres, such as atmospheric, dip lower:

Looking to stream some of the hottest new EDM hits? Here’s the official Spotify playlist of the Amsterdam Dance Event.

— Article by Eliot Van Buskirk, Data/research by Jomar Perez

11 Dance/Electronic Subgenres Heating Up This Summer

August 6, 2018

Dance and electronic music is known for its power to unite fans from across the globe, but real aficionados agree that there’s no one way to blend the many styles, sounds, and artists that make up the expansive and ever-evolving genre.

“The electronic music genre umbrella has to be the largest musical classification. It’s crazy how so many descriptors were accepted throughout its evolution,” says Spotify Dance editor Austin Kramer. “House, rave, club, EDM, dance, electronic are all part of the culture. The semantics all dissolve to one thing: how it makes you feel.” He praises Tomorrowland, which just wrapped two epic weekends, as an example of a popular festival that truly embraces “the diversity of dance music.”

According to Kramer, Tomorrowland hosts more breakout artists than many similar, large-scale festivals. But whether you nabbed a ticket to Belgium or not, there’s still a way to discover and connect with these new and rising artists.

If you’re a dance fan, you probably follow Spotify’s flagship playlist, Mint. Still, you might not know about Spotify’s many dance and electronic subgenre playlists, which house a veritable treasure trove of emerging (and established) artists within bass, indie, techno, and more.

According to diehard fans and experts like Kramer, there’s simply “no way to classify” the many subgenres (and sub-subgenres, and sub-sub-subgenres) that make up the growing dance/electronic/club scene. But while it’s impossible to neatly categorize, it is possible to explore the genre’s limits via Spotify.

Check out our Mint playlist right here, and then learn more about some of our other favorite styles below.

Featuring fast kicks, cymbal smacking, wobble leads, and noted Jamaican dub and reggae influences, Drum & Bass grew from the rave and jungle scenes of Britain in the early 1990s.

Future House is a subgenre that fuses electro/deep house with meaty bass lines. It can bounce and build.

Trap blends hip-hop production (hats, kicks, vocal cuts) with bass drops and large-room effects in halftime.

House originated in Chicago post-disco by mixing funk/soul samples on top of electronic synths/instruments and drum machines (though it now varies in style and influence). House can be seen as the style of music and its variations, but also as a movement and philosophy of unity and love, and the stem of dance music culture today.

Indie Dance/Electronic is a subgenre that fuses rock and electronic. Styles include synth pop, alternative dance, future bass and nu disco.

Characterized by its use of melody, Trance was another early style that’s been evolving for decades. Soaring builds, anthemic, uplifting, hard-hitting chords; a true culture in itself.

Techno is defined by repetitive instrumentals and futuristic themes, ranging from delicate melodic soundscapes to throbbing industrial beats.

Melodic Bass incorporates intense bass lines, colorful melodic builds, and airy drops.

Tech House fuses the minimalistic characteristics of techno with the swing of house.

Afro House/ Soulful House blends African music with house beats.

Fast and hard, Hardstyle is a subgenre that combines distorted leads, euphoric melodies, and face-melting kick drums.

Subscribe to Spotify’s dance playlists to stay updated on the latest and greatest in electronic music.