Helpful ReplyQuestion: What is the most common song format for EDM?

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Rimshot
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2015/07/03 12:05:15 (permalink)

Question: What is the most common song format for EDM?

I have been doing some research on EDM song writing. I usually do rock, country, blues, and pop.
I read online that there is a general format for this genre.
Can anyone provide any hints, tips, etc. on how to write a modern EDM song so far as:
 
1. Standard BPM
2. Standard structure (Intro, Verse, Chorus, Break, Stop, Verse, Chorus, Break, outro...)
3. Recommendations for who to listen to.
 
All this will lead to an original EDM song which I will post here when it is done.
Thanks much for any feedback. 
 
Rimshot
 

Rimshot 

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    Walt Collins
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/03 12:41:11 (permalink)
    Hey Rimshot!
     
    This is very much subject to interpretation, as EDM is a pretty broad label.  It's like asking for a recipe to make a "Rock" song.  As you know, there are many kinds of Rock, including everything from Arena Rock to Speed Metal.  So, too, there are many subgenres of EDM.  According to wikipedia, EDM includes techno, house, trance, hardstyle, dubstep, drum and bass, trap, Jersey club and their respective subgenres.  Each of which has its own subtle tempo range, specific instrumentation preferences, arrangement styles, and more.
     
    All that being said, I'd suggest finding some music that you like listening to, and start doing so.  I got started in electronic music after listening extensively to SomaFM's Groove Salad station.  They also have dozens of other stations there, with differing music focus.  But SomaFM is just one small corner of the internet, and there are many many ways to find music to listen to.  For example, I recently googled for a specific style of EDM called "Deep House", and decided I like it.  This led me to find some artists and playlists on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/deep-house-amsterdam ), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSw9XC61Y24), which I've been playing in the background as I work.  But maybe you don't prefer Deep House.  So poke around and see which genres you like and start googling.
     
    If you're just looking for a few blind recommendations, some of my personal favorites are Fila Brazillia, Aphex Twin, Dzihan & Kamien, Boards of Canada, Adham Shaikh.  I'd also suggest just streaming Groove Salad (see SomaFM above), and taking note of which artists you like most.  Or any other internet radio stations for that matter... there are a million of them.

     
    Good luck. :)

    Walt Collins - Downtempo & Ambient
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    Kamikaze
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/03 12:53:07 (permalink)
    If you work your way though Daft Punk work, you'll see they are really varied, with their first album being really raw.
     
    Royksopp's Melody AM album was pretty interesting, and full of ideas.
     
     

     
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    Planobilly
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/03 12:58:37 (permalink)
    Hi,
    I will try to give some feed back on "Standard BPM" but first I want to define what "EDM" means to me.
     
    Electronic dance music (also known as EDM, dance music, club music, or simply dance) is a set of percussive electronic music genres produced primarily for dance-based entertainment environments, such as nightclubs.
     
    I assume that is what you mean by "EDM"
     
    As there are many different way to "dance"  I do not think there is just one BPM that should be used for every genre. Having said that the question you need to ask yourself is can someone dance to this at this BPM for this genre.
     
    Good DJ's and good live bands read the crowd and speed things up or slow things down as needed. So there is a need to have music at more than just one tempo.
     
    The tempo is also directly related to the percussive structure of the song. Dancers are in general trying to move in time to some part of the drum or bass line. 
     
    You also need to define who you want to listen and or dance to your stuff. Young kids, older people ect.
     
    You can write music for yourself, for other musicians, or for the general public. If you do a good job at that you will find people to listen. If you are producing music for yourself then do what pleases you. If you are producing music for the general public then simple is generally better. If you are producing music to impress other musicians then good luck...lol and expect to receive wide ranging feedback from that group...lol
     
    Cheers,
     
    Billy

    " Music is a team sport "
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    Amine Belkhouche
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/03 13:02:00 (permalink)
    As Waltenstein said, EDM is a very broad label for a bunch of different styles of music. It would be difficult to make such generalizations. If you already produce rock and pop, there are some styles of EDM that can resemble those two.
     
    I would suggest starting off with tracks that feature a vocalist: Zedd (e.g. Clarity, Stay the Night, Lost at Sea), Axwell (Center of the Universe), Swedish House Mafia (Don't You Worry Child, Save the World) etc... Coldplay has some tracks that borrow heavily from EDM, 'A Sky Full of Stars' for instance. 'Stellar' by Daddy's Groove is also a cool one. 'This is What it Feels Like' by Armin Van Buuren might interest you as well.I think if you have a songwriting background, then the aforementioned artists would be a sensible transition into the world of EDM.
     
    If you have time, go searching for and listening to a lot of music as well. If you have any questions on a specific style, I might be able to provide more details.
    post edited by Amine Belkhouche - 2015/07/03 13:10:32
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    yorolpal
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/03 13:09:05 (permalink)
    And here I thought it always stood for erectile dysfunction medicine.

    https://soundcloud.com/doghouse-riley/tracks 
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    Rimshot
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/04 00:44:48 (permalink)
    Waltenstein Studios
    Hey Rimshot!
     
    This is very much subject to interpretation, as EDM is a pretty broad label.  It's like asking for a recipe to make a "Rock" song.  As you know, there are many kinds of Rock, including everything from Arena Rock to Speed Metal.  So, too, there are many subgenres of EDM.  According to wikipedia, EDM includes techno, house, trance, hardstyle, dubstep, drum and bass, trap, Jersey club and their respective subgenres.  Each of which has its own subtle tempo range, specific instrumentation preferences, arrangement styles, and more.
     
    All that being said, I'd suggest finding some music that you like listening to, and start doing so.  I got started in electronic music after listening extensively to SomaFM's Groove Salad station.  They also have dozens of other stations there, with differing music focus.  But SomaFM is just one small corner of the internet, and there are many many ways to find music to listen to.  For example, I recently googled for a specific style of EDM called "Deep House", and decided I like it.  This led me to find some artists and playlists on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/deep-house-amsterdam ), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSw9XC61Y24), which I've been playing in the background as I work.  But maybe you don't prefer Deep House.  So poke around and see which genres you like and start googling.
     
    If you're just looking for a few blind recommendations, some of my personal favorites are Fila Brazillia, Aphex Twin, Dzihan & Kamien, Boards of Canada, Adham Shaikh.  I'd also suggest just streaming Groove Salad (see SomaFM above), and taking note of which artists you like most.  Or any other internet radio stations for that matter... there are a million of them.
     
    Good luck. :)




    Thanks much Walt for the good info. I am checking it all out. 

    Rimshot 

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    Rimshot
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/04 00:45:56 (permalink)
    Kamikaze
    If you work your way though Daft Punk work, you'll see they are really varied, with their first album being really raw.
     
    Royksopp's Melody AM album was pretty interesting, and full of ideas.
     
     


    Thanks Kamikaze. I need to get into Daft Punk. Its time to catch up on a whole other side of commercial music.

    Rimshot 

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    Rimshot
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/04 00:48:21 (permalink)
    Planobilly
    Hi,
    I will try to give some feed back on "Standard BPM" but first I want to define what "EDM" means to me.
     
    Electronic dance music (also known as EDM, dance music, club music, or simply dance) is a set of percussive electronic music genres produced primarily for dance-based entertainment environments, such as nightclubs.
     
    I assume that is what you mean by "EDM"
     
    As there are many different way to "dance"  I do not think there is just one BPM that should be used for every genre. Having said that the question you need to ask yourself is can someone dance to this at this BPM for this genre.
     
    Good DJ's and good live bands read the crowd and speed things up or slow things down as needed. So there is a need to have music at more than just one tempo.
     
    The tempo is also directly related to the percussive structure of the song. Dancers are in general trying to move in time to some part of the drum or bass line. 
     
    You also need to define who you want to listen and or dance to your stuff. Young kids, older people ect.
     
    You can write music for yourself, for other musicians, or for the general public. If you do a good job at that you will find people to listen. If you are producing music for yourself then do what pleases you. If you are producing music for the general public then simple is generally better. If you are producing music to impress other musicians then good luck...lol and expect to receive wide ranging feedback from that group...lol
     
    Cheers,
     
    Billy


    Thanks Billy. I am researching the main stream dance music that you would see on YouTube under EDM. Thousands of kids dancing, jumping, and looking like they are really having a good time. Great sound and visuals. DJ's driving a lot of the focus. I am now cataloging the most popular BPM. Guess what it is?

    Rimshot 

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    Rimshot
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/04 00:50:00 (permalink)
    Amine Belkhouche
    As Waltenstein said, EDM is a very broad label for a bunch of different styles of music. It would be difficult to make such generalizations. If you already produce rock and pop, there are some styles of EDM that can resemble those two.
     
    I would suggest starting off with tracks that feature a vocalist: Zedd (e.g. Clarity, Stay the Night, Lost at Sea), Axwell (Center of the Universe), Swedish House Mafia (Don't You Worry Child, Save the World) etc... Coldplay has some tracks that borrow heavily from EDM, 'A Sky Full of Stars' for instance. 'Stellar' by Daddy's Groove is also a cool one. 'This is What it Feels Like' by Armin Van Buuren might interest you as well.I think if you have a songwriting background, then the aforementioned artists would be a sensible transition into the world of EDM.
     
    If you have time, go searching for and listening to a lot of music as well. If you have any questions on a specific style, I might be able to provide more details.




    Thank you Amine. I will check out those artists and songs you pointed out. I may take you up on asking out different styles once I get there.

    Rimshot 

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    Rimshot
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/04 00:51:54 (permalink)
    yorolpal
    And here I thought it always stood for erectile dysfunction medicine.



    I can tell you without any hesitation that you were wrong.


    Rimshot 

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    Kamikaze
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/04 02:28:24 (permalink)
    Rimshot
    Kamikaze
    If you work your way though Daft Punk work, you'll see they are really varied, with their first album being really raw.
     
    Royksopp's Melody AM album was pretty interesting, and full of ideas.
     
     


    Thanks Kamikaze. I need to get into Daft Punk. Its time to catch up on a whole other side of commercial music.


    As you talked about structure, I thought Daft Punk would show an interesting evolution. If you listen to Homework, it's a raw tech house album and anything but commercial. Their roots were dirty parties, instead of glitzy clubs. Check out Rollinn' and Scratchin' for exampole and it's a distorted 303esq   techno track with a linear progression. As you move through their albums, you hear the disco take over and they come out then other end. There latest album is not recognisably the same band they started out as, but lots of great stuff along the way.
     
    In the early 90's British bands were killing it, with many rooted in rave. Orbital, Prodidgy, The Orb, then Chemical Brothers, Underworld (Eat Static would be off many's radar, but they were synth masters having come from the Prog Rock Band 'Ozrics Tenticle'. As raves were stamped out with the criminal Justice bill, Festivals exploded. The House thing Grew and groups like Bassment Jaxx, and girls and guys that would look pristine ate the weekend clubbing, started going to the festivals and that cross over fuelled things further.
     
    Meanwhile french acts like Air and Daftpunk showed up on the radar, with a fresh  twist on things, followd by Scandonavian bands like Royksopp. This point seems to be a turning point for me, coinciding with the true availability of DAWs, and with a wealth of influences and styles to draw on, everything seems to cross over and over.
     
    I'm not disregarding The Detroit or Gernman Techno Scene, nor the Chicago Disco scene before them. Just the volume of styles that came out of the UK in the 90's was a big part in the scene we have now. I've not mention Drum and Bass, and Jungle Trip Hop, Speed Garage, Happy Hardcore. So many styles kick off so much.  
     

     
    #12
    Rimshot
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/05 10:34:30 (permalink)
    Much thanks again Kamikaze. There's lots to learn based on what you have pointed out. 
     
    In the meantime, 
    Here's some status on BPM I found yesterday by looking up the top 10 YouTube videos for EDM:
     
    http://screencast.com/t/lqh2uQzV8X
     
    http://screencast.com/t/STv5Sv0mT
     
    post edited by Rimshot - 2015/07/05 10:41:02

    Rimshot 

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    Walt Collins
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/05 10:52:25 (permalink)
    Yeah, 124-130 bpm is pretty popular these days.  But again, it depends on specific subgenre.

    Walt Collins - Downtempo & Ambient
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    Rimshot
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/05 11:52:32 (permalink)
    Couldn't believe there were so many at 128 BPM! I guess that helps the DJ stack 'em up. 

    Rimshot 

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    Kamikaze
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/05 12:33:31 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby Rimshot 2015/07/05 14:13:03
    What bpm do you like to dance at. If you are going to make dance music, it should make you want to dance
     
     

     
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    Rimshot
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/05 14:08:51 (permalink)
    Hey Kamikaze, 
    I wouldn't last very long dancing at 182 but I would like to compose songs for those that do! You make a good point though. 
     


    Rimshot 

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    ohgrant
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/05 15:57:53 (permalink)
     Cool thread, I can't offer any advise because I have yet to understand EDM myself. Putting one together is also on my bucket list though so looking forward to the result.

    Me
     
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    Kamikaze
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    Re: Question: What is the most common song format for EDM? 2015/07/06 08:10:48 (permalink)
    182 is drum and bass speed, which you groove along to as though it was 91 bpm

     
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