As a music producer, you have to stay aware of the trends in electronic music to understand where the industry is heading, increasing your odds of being the first surfer of a wave, which eventually could make you blow up.
Here are the most relevant trends that I’ve been reading about, and what you can do about it…
4 THOUGHTS FROM ME
“AI and technology will be more and more part of music production”.
AI is coming to music, and you’ve likely already felt afraid of it replacing you. At this point, it’s only getting bigger. More companies are introducing tools with AI, and the trend is not likely to slow down, as companies get more access to tools at lower costs, making it more available to producers.
How do you make this trend work for you:
- Use AI to help you market your songs. Don’t know how to market your songs? Ask ChatGPT to create a marketing plan for your next release (or check this post);
- Use AI to help you write better lyrics for your songs. In my latest release, I wasn’t particularly fond of what the vocalist sent me, so I asked ChatGPT to rewrite it and provide me with 10 different options. Or, if you don’t even have a lyric, ask AI to create a speech on any topic and use it as a spoken word in your song, just like Overtones by Frost;
- Use AI to help you learn more about your genre. Ask ChatGPT about the core elements of your genre, and master what it gives you, as I’ve mentioned in my last post about learning faster. Or, if you already know how to make music in your genre, ask for 10 ways to differentiate your music, and start doing this. This is what AI suggested to me to test in Melodic House or Afro House;
- Rip the vocals of your favorite songs and build something on top of it. One cool trick that I’ve been using lately is building a song on top of a vocal of a released track I like, then removing the vocal and hiring a vocalist to sing on top of it. You can use Lalal.ai to split the stems of any song and do something like this, and you’ll be able to work with vocals that you wouldn’t have access otherwise;
- Generate chord ideas with AI. Use Suno.ai or Udio to generate song ideas for you. Recreate the chord progression that AI has generated, and, if possible, give it a little spin so it’s not the same as what was generated. Especially if you’re going through writer’s block, that can be helpful to spark some creativity.
The only question is whether you’re going to let AI replace you or help you do more.
2. “More people are making music than ever before”.
More people are making music than ever before. Spotify has 170,000 songs uploaded to their platform EACH DAY, and that number is continuing to grow.
Electronic Music Acts have grown their share in major events from 13% in 2021 to 18% in 2024, while also showing a 14% growth on Soundcloud in 2024 and some genres, like UK Garage, getting 100% more uploads in 2024 than in 2023. How do you make this trend work for you:
- Push the boundaries of your genre. Even if there’s still space for you to just do what is “expected” from your genre, differentiating yourself through your music will become more important if you want to stand out as an artist. You can do this by:
- Push the boundaries of your genre’s sound design by not conforming to its “rules”;
- Merge your genre with others by introducing elements from other genres in your current one, which is actually a really big trend at the moment;
- Push the boundaries of your performances. If you’re not currently DJing, this is already a nice way to push your brand and your music to new crowds and grow your career. But, if you’re already performing, another major trend is performing live. This is a special one since AI won’t be able to replicate your live shows, and it makes the experience more of a show than only a DJ set, like what Sultan + Shepard, Ben Böhmer, Rüfüs Du Sol, and many others are doing;
- Push yourself beyond your music. Multiple producers have become big acts by doing more than just music:
- Become a viral Dj/brand on Youtube like Chris Luno, Flavour Trip, Cerclé, and many more;
- Make content that is valuable to other producers. If you’re not into sets, you can make content that is helpful to other producers and also that is awesome for fans with behind the scenes, vlogs, like James Hype is doing;
- Make content that is fun to watch and valuable to create a crowd. Funny videos won’t necessarily attract a loyal fan base to you, but making videos of you jamming, like Marc Rebillet, is content that not only is cool, but that can also attract a crowd, and that’s how he built his fan base.
There are multiple other tools to make yourself stand out from the crowd, but now it’s up to you to do it. If you’re still doubting how, ask chatgpt.
3. “The sense of belonging to a community is greater and more intense for electronic music than for other genres”.
It’s becoming more common for labels to do events, parties, meet & greets, and other social events. Why? 68% of electronic music fans say they are part of something others don’t understand. This makes them become more connected with their scene, which translates to being more active on streaming platforms, and they also end up spending more than in other genres.
How do you make this trend work for you:
- Learn how to spot opportunities in communities. If you become an avid member of a community, like Anjunabeats, it may give you access to people who are involved with the label, which can give you a head start when submitting songs to them. Search your desired label’s agenda and look for ways that you can attend their events, but go to these events to meet people, make connections, which might lead you to someone from the your desired label;
- Become a part of an online community and start helping producers. When you help others, others will help you back. So, go to our Discord and start giving feedback, for example, and you might end up finding artists to collab with, artists that can help you with connections for the events mentioned above;
- Attend global dance music events like ADE or MMW. These major events are awesome because there are a lot of producers you can meet and connect with, and all labels and people of influence in the dance industry are often easier to reach than ever. How do you make this trend work for you;
- Attend the events of your favorite labels, but favor smaller events as they tend to be more intimate and, therefore, give you more options to meet people;
- If you go to bigger events, find ways to get you “backstage” as there is where the good connections will happen;
- Focus on networking more than enjoying the event, as this is what will make you meet people who can get you backstage;
- Connect with other artists online or at gigs. When you play gigs in your local town, it might give you the opportunity to meet big producers, who can eventually invite you to go backstage (e.g. that’s how I met Le Youth, Ferry Corsten, Paul Van Dyk, Markus Schulz, Sunny Lax).
4. “There are some genre-specific trends that are happening now”.
BPMs are getting faster, some high BPM genres like Techno, Trance, DnB & UKG are gaining in popularity. Also, non-4/4 genres like breakbeats are starting to see more play at major festivals.
Indie Dance is new to the scene, but definitely seeing time on the mainstage. DJ’s are playing more genre-blended sets, mixing multiple genres together. Here’s how you take advantage of these trends:
- Speed up your BPM. Don’t be afraid to really push the envelope on speed. Going 140+ is no longer reserved for hardstyle, as techno & trance are really not afraid of those speeds anymore.
- Get out of the 4/4. Experiment on things like breakbeats, or DnB and UKG genres to try and make something new and interesting. People may react more to you branching out of your comfort zone;
- Experiment with hybrid genres like Indie Dance where there are hints of techno and house, and combined with some more disco grooves, but is slower and less formulaic;
- Work on Mashups and Remixes. Mashups and Remixes never go out of style, and doing a remix of an old song, merging it with your current genre or one your experimenting with like breaks or indie dance, can be a great way to break through, which is how “Rivo” made his breakthrough in Afro House;
- Slow down your tempo. I know, I said rising tempos are becoming more popular, but don’t be afraid to counter a trend to create differentiation for yourself and your music.
- If you’re not already doing it, start paying attention to TikTok and Instagram; Labels are even more aware of songs that blow up on TikTok and Instagram, which are also making their way into DJ sets more and more often. Discovering a trend on these platforms, can lead to you blowing up, and being more attractive to labels as they look for the NEXT big thing.
3 QUICK TRENDS FOR YOU
What are other trends that are happening in 2025?
1. Clubs are on a downward trend.
Traditional clubbing is on a decline, especially because the cost of clubbing has risen over the years. That makes Gen Zers less prone to clubbing due to the financial constraints of 2025 and previous years, making clubs less and less packed.
2. Australia has become a huge market for dance music.
In 2024, Australia overtook the UK and is now the third country with the most electronic music monthly listeners, so don’t neglect this market.
3. The ongoing fight between the “experience” vs “music”.
I’ve already heard multiple times, and also from big DJs, that they want their fans to dance at their shows, and not to raise their phones to record whatever is on an LED screen. At the same time, immersive experiences are also growing and being shared online massively, which makes them more desired by others.
