NPR attempts to define 'EDM'
/Sami Yenigun from NPR recently wrote a comprehensive look at the growth of EDM in the United States. Overall I found the article to be an informative read but in my opinion fell short when Sami tried to nail down the meaning of EDM:
"EDM is short for Electronic Dance Music, which could conceivably describe any music with a beat made on a machine. But in practice it describes something more specific."
The first statement is fine.
"...but nobody that I spoke to could draw a clear sonic line between EDM and other subgenres of dance music that they don't consider EDM, like deep house or techno."
Trying to carve out genres like deep house and techno from what everyone calls EDM would be a major mistake. EDM is an all encompassing term that should be as inclusive as possible to all sorts of danceable forms of electronic music. I think the way Beatport breaks down the music with different genres and the DJ Mag top 100 are perfect examples of this. With the DJ Mag top 100, you see all sorts of DJs from across all genres all together in one list and under the umbrella of what I consider to be electronic dance music. This is the way it should be and continue to be.
"But as the ever-shifting vernacular around dance music has started to congeal, some sort of consensus has formed around its definition: EDM is a pop-driven, mostly high-energy, commercial strain of dance music."
EDM is so much more than just pop driven dance music. If we start referring to EDM by only that narrow definition then we risk to lose the spirit of electronic dance music and it's incredible variety that resides in all sorts of different scenes all over the world. EDM Canada will never abide by such a narrow view of what this scene really is.
(Source: NPR)