What does EDM stand for? Usually the answer is electronic dance music, a broad label for music made mainly with synthesizers, drum machines and computers and built for dancing. It covers many styles, from house and techno to trance, dubstep and drum and bass, usually played by a DJ at clubs and outdoor festivals.
Outside music, the same letters mean very different things. Machinists use EDM for electrical discharge machining, a way of cutting hard metal with sparks, and some marketers use it for electronic direct mail, meaning promotional email. Surrounding words usually make the intended meaning obvious.
Quick facts
Stands for
Electronic dance musicOther meanings
Electrical discharge machining; electronic direct mailType
Initialism, said E D MStyles under it
House, techno, trance, dubstep, drum and bassTypical tempo
Roughly 120 to 175 BPM, depending on styleRelated terms
DJ, BPM, rave, drop
What does EDM stand for in music?
In music, EDM breaks down as Electronic, Dance, Music. Electronic tells you how the sound is made, mostly with machines and software rather than acoustic instruments. Dance tells you what it is for. Music completes the phrase.
The styles under the label grew over decades in clubs from Chicago and Detroit to European cities. The short form EDM became the everyday American term once big festival stages and radio play brought these sounds to a wide audience. Some longtime fans use EDM only for the loud, festival friendly side of the scene and prefer the specific style names for the rest.
Main styles grouped under EDM
| Style | What it sounds like |
|---|---|
| House | A steady four on the floor kick drum, soulful or funky touches |
| Techno | Driving, repetitive and often darker, with machine textures |
| Trance | Long builds and soaring melodies |
| Dubstep | Heavy bass, half time feel, sharp wobbling sounds |
| Drum and bass | Fast broken beats with deep basslines |
Tempo is measured in beats per minute; see BPM for how that works. A DJ moves between tracks with similar tempos so the dance floor never stops.
Words you hear around EDM
- The drop: the moment after a buildup when the full beat and bass come back in.
- Buildup: rising sounds and faster drums that create tension before the drop.
- DJ: disc jockey, the person who selects and mixes the tracks live.
- Producer: the person who writes and records tracks in a studio, often the same person as the DJ.
- Rave: a large dance event, often running late into the night.
- EP: a short release of a few tracks, a common format for dance producers.
A friend texts: "Going to the EDM night downtown, want to come?" They mean a club or concert event where DJs play electronic dance music, not a talk or a class about it.
EDM in manufacturing and marketing
In factories and machine shops, EDM means electrical discharge machining. A controlled series of electric sparks wears away metal to cut precise shapes in very hard materials. Shops talk about wire EDM, which uses a thin wire as the cutting tool, and sinker EDM, which uses a shaped electrode. Molds, dies and small precision parts are common uses. These shops often run CNC machines too.
In marketing, especially in parts of Asia, EDM can mean electronic direct mail, a promotional email sent to a list of customers. In the United States, people usually just say email campaign.
| Field | Stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Music | Electronic dance music | "Her playlist is mostly EDM." |
| Machining | Electrical discharge machining | "The shop runs two wire EDM machines." |
| Marketing | Electronic direct mail | "Send the EDM to subscribers on Friday." |
How to say and write EDM
Say the letters separately, "E D M." E is said "ee," so you write an EDM festival. Use capitals with no periods. In music writing, you can use EDM as a noun ("she produces EDM") or as an adjective ("an EDM track"). For a general reader, spell it out once as electronic dance music. The acronym vs abbreviation guide covers why this is an initialism.
EDM vs similar music letters
- EDM vs electronic music: all EDM is electronic, but not all electronic music is for dancing. Ambient music, for example, is electronic but calm.
- EDM vs R&B: rhythm and blues is a vocal style rooted in soul and gospel, though modern producers sometimes blend the two.
- EDM vs IDM: IDM, intelligent dance music, is a looser term for experimental electronic music meant more for listening.
Many more everyday letter sets are gathered in our famous acronyms roundup.
Questions people ask
What does EDM stand for in music?
In music, EDM stands for electronic dance music. It is an umbrella term for dance styles made with electronic instruments, such as house, techno and dubstep.
Is EDM a genre?
It is better described as a family of genres. Fans and artists usually name the specific style, such as house or trance, while EDM covers the whole group.
What does EDM mean in machining?
In machining, EDM means electrical discharge machining, a process that shapes metal using electric sparks. It is used for very precise cuts in hard metals.
How do you pronounce EDM?
Say it as three letters, E D M, never as one word.
What is the drop in EDM?
The drop is the point in a track where the tension of a buildup breaks and the full beat and bass hit. It is often the loudest, most energetic part of the track.