Quick answer: Name the style and use its tempo: house about 118 to 128 BPM, techno 125 to 140, dubstep around 140 with a half-time feel, drum and bass 165 to 178. Describe the bassline and one signature sound, and spell out the arc, for example "16-bar build with a riser, then a heavy drop". If you plan to DJ the track, ask for a drum-only intro and outro.
Genre guide · EDM
EDM with AI: from four-on-the-floor to the drop
Electronic dance music is a family, not a sound. House, techno, dubstep and drum and bass each have their own tempo and drum pattern, and DJs mix them by those numbers. Pick the style, give its BPM, and describe the build and the drop.
- Tempo
- House 118 to 128, techno 125 to 140, dubstep about 140, DnB 165 to 178
- Feel
- Four-on-the-floor kick (house, techno) or broken beats (DnB)
- Harmony
- Short loops; tension comes from filters, risers and drops
- Core sounds
- Synth bass, kick, claps, hi-hats, synth stabs, vocal chops
- Vocals
- Optional: a short hook, vocal chops or a full topline
Defining traits
What makes it EDM
- 01
Tempo is part of the genre name
A DJ can tell house from drum and bass by tempo alone. Put the exact BPM in your prompt and keep it inside the range for the style; a 150 BPM "deep house" track confuses the generator and the dance floor.
- 02
Tension and release
Dance tracks are built around build-ups and drops. Describe the arc in bars ("8-bar breakdown, 16-bar build, drop") so the energy moves where you want it.
- 03
Made to be mixed
Club tracks open and close with long, mostly drum-only sections so DJs can blend them. Ask for a "drum-only intro and outro" when the track is for a set rather than a playlist.
Try it
Prompts that work
PromptEDM122 bpm
deep house, warm rolling bassline, four-on-the-floor kick, off-beat open hi-hats, soulful chord stabs, short female vocal hook, drum-only 16-bar intro
PromptEDM132 bpminstrumental
driving peak-time techno, pounding kick, hypnotic acid synth line, metallic percussion, long filter build, dark and relentless, no vocals
PromptEDM128 bpm
festival EDM, euphoric supersaw chords, big 16-bar build with snare roll and riser, heavy drop with a vocal chop lead, energetic female vocal in the breakdown
PromptEDM174 bpm
liquid drum and bass, fast breakbeat drums, deep rolling sub bass, lush pads, soft female vocal, uplifting and smooth
Substyles
Tempo by substyle
- House118–128
- Techno125–140
- Drum and bass165–178
110150190 bpm
House
118–128 bpmKick on every beat, claps on 2 and 4, open hats on the off-beats. Deep, tech, soulful and afro house all live here.
Try this style →Techno
125–140 bpmDarker and more repetitive than house, built on a hypnotic loop that slowly changes.
Try this style →Drum and bass
165–178 bpmFast broken beats over a slow-moving bass line. Liquid is smooth, neurofunk is aggressive.
Try this style →
Prompting
What to write, what to skip
Works
- Put the substyle and an exact BPM first.
- Describe the bassline: rolling, plucky, wobbling or sub-heavy.
- Plan the arc in bars: intro, build, drop, breakdown, outro.
- Ask for drum-only intros and outros for DJ sets.
Doesn't
- Tempos outside the style's range.
- Five lead synths fighting each other in the drop.
- Expecting a drop without asking for a build-up.
- Long, verse-heavy lyrics on a club track.
Go deeper
Guides for this genre
- Making House and Dance Beats with AIA house beat maker guide to four-on-the-floor grooves: kick, off-beat hats and claps, basslines, and prompts for deep, tech, garage and afro house at 118 to 128 BPM.13 min read
- Arranging a Beat: Intro, Drop and BreakdownHow to turn a loop into a structured instrumental: section lengths, energy curves, transitions, and arrangement maps for hip hop, trap, house and afrobeats.12 min read
- Beat Tempo Guide: BPM Ranges by GenreA reference of BPM ranges for hip hop, trap, drill, house, techno, afrobeats, reggaeton, lo-fi, R&B, pop, rock and drum and bass, with half-time explained.12 min read
- Drum Patterns Explained: Kick, Snare and Hi-HatBasic drum patterns for rock, hip hop, trap, house, reggaeton, drill and more, written as 16-step grids, with the exact words to describe each one in a prompt.15 min read
- Setting BPM and Key When Generating AI MusicWhy tempo and key settings matter for editing, DJing and layering AI tracks, how to choose them, and how to check what the generator actually delivered.13 min read
Questions
The short answers.
- What BPM is house music?
- House usually runs between about 118 and 128 BPM, with many tracks near 122 to 125. Techno tends to sit higher, around 125 to 140, and drum and bass much higher, around 165 to 178.
- Can I make an EDM track without vocals?
- Yes. Set vocals to none and write "no vocals" in the prompt. For a hook without full lyrics, ask for "vocal chops" or a short repeated vocal phrase instead.
- Can I DJ AI-generated tracks?
- You can, as long as your plan's license covers how you use them; paid MusicVivo plans include a commercial license. Ask for a drum-only intro and outro, and check the tempo and key in your DJ software before you mix.
- How long can an EDM track be?
- MusicVivo makes tracks up to four minutes on paid plans, which covers a radio-style edit with a build and drop. Club extended mixes are often longer, so plan a compact structure or loop sections in your DJ software.
Related genres
Try a neighboring sound
- SynthwaveRetro 80s synths, arpeggiated bass and gated snares around 80 to 118 BPM, usually with a neon-night setting.
- PopHook-first songs: tight verses, a lifting pre-chorus and a chorus that repeats its best line.
- K-popPop songs that switch styles between sections, with rap parts, dance breaks and Korean-English hooks.
Make a dance track with a real drop
Free to start. Pick the style and BPM, describe the build, and download the track with cover art.
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