The Song Planner

Orchestral EDM

tagStarted c. 1999Peak 2011-2017Last big hit active through melodic bass, live string shows, symphonic EDM sets, and festival crossover productions

Located in 1 route

Electronic / Dance → Cinematic / Classical / Hybrid Electronic

Orchestral EDM brings strings, brass, choirs, cinematic drums, and classical gestures into electronic dance structures. It can be trance, dubstep, melodic bass, electro-house, or pop-dance, but the arrangement aims for symphonic lift rather than club minimalism. The style often works best when orchestral material shapes the hook, not just when a string pad is added on top.

History

Hybrid's breakbeat-orchestral approach, trance string breakdowns, and film-score-minded EDM set up the lane before artists such as Clean Bandit, Lindsey Stirling, Seven Lions, Illenium, Apashe, Gareth Emery, Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, M83, The Glitch Mob, Madeon, Porter Robinson, KSHMR, and orchestral live-show projects brought it to wider festival and pop audiences. It overlaps with melodic bass, cinematic dubstep, symphonic pop, and trailer electronic.

Defining artists

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Essential listening

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← Explore Electronic / Dance

Sources

  • EDM and trance release histories
  • orchestral EDM live-show references
  • artist discographies
  • soundtrack-crossover coverage