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How Professional Equipment Shapes EDM Production

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Electronic dance music production comes with various challenges, from not knowing where to start to staying motivated to see your project through to the end.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice EDM producer or a long-time EDM lover looking to level up your current production setup. This guide can help you.

Discover the benefits of professional equipment, as well as the most important pieces to add to your collection, below.

The Power of MIDI Controllers

Music Instrument Digital Interface or MIDI controllers — also known as MIDI keyboards — are devices that send MIDI data to your computer or another piece of hardware. The keyboard does not produce any sound on its own. Instead, it triggers sounds from another device.

These keyboards come in various sizes, ranging from 25-88 keys, with non-weighted keys, hammer-action keys, and everything in between.

With a MIDI controller, you can “play” virtually any instrument. You can also record songs using a variety of instruments and then combine the sounds to make it seem as though an entire band is playing.

If you’ve ever wanted to compose your own music, a MIDI keyboard makes the entire process easier. You have access to a range of instruments at your fingertips (literally) and can layer melodies, chords, instruments, etc., to create an original piece.

How to Choose a MIDI Controller

If you’re getting ready to upgrade your current MIDI controller or purchase your first one, these tips will help you make the correct choice:

● Choose the right size and number of keys: If you’re a beginner, you can likely get by with a 25-key controller; if you’re more advanced, consider investing in a larger, 88-key version.

● Consider your music background: If you have previous piano experience, you might feel limited by a 25-key controller and would prefer a larger option. Conversely, if you’re new to music production or like using tools like faders, a smaller controller with more control knobs could serve you better.

● Check knob size and functionality: If you buy a controller with small or awkwardly shaped knobs, you’ll likely have a harder time using it correctly and efficiently. If

possible, test controllers in person so you can see which one feels the best before making a decision.

Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs)

A digital audio workstation (DAW) is a software application you can use to record, edit, and produce audio.

With the help of a DAW, you can record tracks, layer beats, incorporate instruments and vocals, apply sound effects, and mix the finished product all from one centralized location.

How to Choose a DAW

The good news is that most MIDI controllers work with any type of digital audio workstation. Before you pick one to add to your EDM production studio, be sure to keep these factors in mind:

● What kinds of instruments do you use the most? If you work primarily with virtual instruments, look for a DAW that caters to that style, such as Fruity Loops, rather than one favored by those who use the music they’ve played and recorded on a guitar, piano, etc. — Pro Tools is a popular option.

● What is your experience level? If you’re new to music production, you might do better with a more streamlined DAW like Garage Band, which is available for free on MAC devices. For more advanced producers, you may prefer something like Logic Pro X.

● What kind of hardware do you use? Many tools, such as Pro Tools and Fruity Loops, are compatible with Apple and Windows devices. Meanwhile, options like Garage Band are only available to Apple users.

Integrating DACs into Your Studio Setup

Digital-to-analog converters, also known as DACs, take digital data and transform it into analog audio signals. They then send the analog signal to an amplifier.

Typically, when you hear a digital recording, you’re hearing an analog signal converted by a DAC.

Here is a quick breakdown of how DACs work:

● An artist lays down a track during the recording process. The microphone picks up the sounds as analog audio signals.

● Recording engineers store the analog signals as digital signals, typically in a digital audio file.

● During playback, the digital-to-analog converter decodes the stored digital signals and converts them into analog audio.

● The DAC then sends the converted signal to an amplifier, which sends music through headphones or stereo speakers.

How to Choose the Best DAC

If you’re looking for the best digital-to-analog converters on the market, keep the following factors in mind:

● Compatibility: Make sure the DAC you’re considering supports a variety of file formats, especially those you intend to play most often.

● Inputs and Outputs: Check that the DAC has all the necessary inputs to connect your digital sources, as well as the outputs to amplifiers, speakers, etc.

● Resolution: Most modern DACs support high-resolution audio. However, it’s best to double-check that your DAC supports at least 24-bit/96kHz.

● Sound Signature: Is the sound signature neutral, warm, detailed, or smooth? Check reviews to see what users say about the converter’s sound.

Synthesizers and Synth VSTs

A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that produces a range of sounds using analog or digital circuits. Synth virtual studio technology, or VST, is a type of audio plug-in software that integrates with software synthesizers and digital audio workstations.

How to Choose a Synth VST

When shopping for a synth VST, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Focus on these elements to ensure you make the best choice for your EDM production needs:

● Prioritize sound quality: Don’t get caught up in long lists of fancy features. Remember that sound is the most critical factor.

● Consider the interface: Look for a synth VST with an easy-to-navigate interface. After all, it doesn’t matter how good the sound is if the tool is too complicated for you to use, right?

● Check the average plugin cost: Some plugins for VSTs are expensive and can easily set you back hundreds of dollars. Consider the average price for the plugins for a tool you’re thinking about using to determine if the overall value is worthwhile.

Level Up Your EDM Production

From midi controls and DACs to DAWs and synthesizers, you can choose from a wide range of equipment to enhance your EDM production process. Use the guidelines and tips shared above to ensure you’re selecting the best pieces that will produce the best results.

Founder, Owner & Manager of EDMHouseNetwork. Instant lover of all things electronic dance music from the moment I heard Fatboy Slim and The Prodigy. After pursuing a career as a DJ, creating EDM content quickly became a love of mine and it has been my mission to keep delivering high quality content ever since.

Editorial

The Top 10 Most Watched DJ Sets of 2025

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Hardwell performing a high-energy set with their arm raised in front of a massive festival crowd and a city skyline (UMF Miami), representing the most-viewed sets of 2025.

The year 2025 delivered electrifying moments that transcended the festival grounds, with millions tuning in online to witness the biggest names in electronic music. From the pulsating energy of Tomorrowland to the intimate intensity of Boiler Room, these are the ten DJ sets that commanded the world’s attention, ranked by their official view counts.

10. Tiësto – EDC Las Vegas (3.2M Views)

The legendary trance pioneer proved his enduring mainstage power with a career-spanning set at the kineticFIELD, solidifying his status as a global festival icon.

9. Hardwell – Tomorrowland (3.2M Views)

Hardwell’s return to Tomorrowland’s mainstage showcased his evolving sound, mixing big-room house with high-octane future techno to the delight of millions.

8. Martin Garrix – UMF 2025 (3.5M Views)

The youthful powerhouse delivered a visually stunning and explosive closing set at Ultra Music Festival, debuting several highly-anticipated IDs to his global fanbase.

7. Swedish House Mafia – Tomorrowland (4.1M Views)

The iconic trio’s set was a masterclass in festival spectacle, delivering a nostalgic yet future-facing performance that confirmed their enduring global appeal.

6. riria – Boiler Room Tokyo (4.2M Views)

A breakthrough moment for the Japanese selector, riria’s dynamic Boiler Room set blended mesmerizing trance rhythms with hard-groove techno, quickly going viral for its raw energy.

5. Alok – Tomorrowland (4.2M Views)

The Brazilian superstar lit up the Tomorrowland mainstage with his signature Brazilian bass sound, delivering an unforgettable, high-energy performance perfectly tailored for the massive festival crowd.

4. David Guetta – Tomorrowland (4.3M Views)

Forever a titan of the mainstage, Guetta delivered a high-production set that expertly mixed his classic anthems with cutting-edge future rave and commercial hits.

3. Skrillex – UMF 2025 (5.5M Views)

Skrillex demonstrated his genre-bending dominance with a thunderous set that jumped effortlessly between bass music, dubstep, and pop, reaffirming his position as an innovative force.

2. Hardwell – Ultra Japan (7.4M Views)

Hardwell secured the second spot with his monumental Ultra Japan appearance, a high-impact set that featured massive drops and powerful visuals, dominating the Asian festival circuit viewership.

1. ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U – Boiler Room (16M Views)

The most-watched set of the year, this legendary Boiler Room session achieved viral status for its frenetic, genre-defying chaos, proving that deeply underground and experimental sounds can still capture a colossal global audience.

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Editorial

Spotify Deepens Its Song Credits After Acquiring WhoSampled

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Just last year, we saw the #RespectTheCreators campaign call for better credits for electronic music posted on social media. Samples and remixes are common in EDM, but sometimes it’s difficult to make sure everyone gets credited. Spotify looks to be fixing that, after acquiring a third-party service that will supercharge its song credits.

For as long as EDM has existed, sampling has been a core part of the experience. Before DJs became their own creators, their job was to spin other people’s records to create new (but ultimately derivative) music. As the scene developed, we got the tools to make our own sounds, but samples and vocal chops are still great accompaniments that artists rely on.

For commercial work, every sample needs to be cleared of any copyright concerns. This often includes royalties, but in the more underground and enthusiast scenes, some artists just ask for credit if they get sampled by other creators. It’s a simple concept that is reflected in many online spaces. On YouTube, it’s common courtesy to credit and link to other YouTubers if you use their material. A better example of paid collaboration happens with online casinos that host slot games. Casinos don’t make the games; they just host them, so each one is there as part of a deal with the original developer. The developer gets fully credited, with some form of revenue share agreement.

While the internet made it easier to get your work out there and form new partnerships, it also brought us social media. This led to a lot of online promotion using clips of festivals or DJ sets, and often they’d include some music. The song itself might be properly credited in the industry, but when it’s aired over social media, that credit doesn’t make it to the millions of people who see the clip. It’s up to the uploader to credit the song playing at the time, but some don’t, either out of carelessness or because they don’t actually know the many samples involved in a piece of music. This is why the #RespectTheCreators hashtag started.

Spotify’s Expanded Song Credits

In November, Spotify acquired WhoSampled. WhoSampled is arguably the best service online for samples, covers, and remixes, showing how iconic tunes have been repurposed by other creatives. The service is staying independent, but behind the scenes, its vast trove of data is getting plugged into the Spotify ecosystem.

This empowers Spotify to deliver three new features. One of them is About the Song, explaining the creative process behind songs when it’s appropriate. The other two – SongDNA and Song Credits – are great assets for the EDM scene. SongDNA maps out the connections between songs, including sampling. Song Credits then goes in-depth to credit as many people as possible. Not just the DJ, but relevant songwriters, producers, and even performers for percussive and orchestral samples. Spotify also provides a way for artists to update and correct their song credits.

A fully fleshed-out Spotify crediting system could make it much easier to credit EDM songs on social media. Artists and promoters can drop a link to the Spotify listing, showing everybody who worked on a track. It promotes the DJ, but it also promotes the unsung heroes who originally provided sampled material. It makes the crediting process easier, more convenient, and hopefully more common in our industry.

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Editorial

10 DJs & Artists Who Dominated 2025

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Collage of four prominent electronic music artists (Sammy Virji, KI/KI, and others), representing the EDM House Network's Top 10 DJs of 2025 ranking.

As 2025 comes to an end, it is time to look back on the artists who have dominated the decks this year. From remarkable performances to unique releases, these are EDMHouseNetwork’s top 10 DJs of 2025.

1. Sammy Virji

Leading the lineup following a fantastic year, Sammy Virji has been carving his place in the scene for a long time.

However, 2025 has been a different kind of special for the British artist, who not only packed out the Freedom Stage at Tomorrowland and Coachella‘s Sahara Tent, but also celebrated the release of his second album.

Titled ‘Same Day Cleaning,’ it showcases Virji’s iconic UKG sound, highlighted by collaborations with the likes of Chris LakeSkepta and Salute.

2. KI/KI

As 2025 wraps up, KI/KI heads into the new year after an incredibly productive run. Her music touched every corner of the globe, whether she was on stage or not.

Her ‘What’s A Girl To Do’ remix took the scene by storm, entering the DJ’s top three most streamed songs of all time. Besides this, KI/KI joined forces with Armin van Buuren to shake the Johan Cruyff Arena during AMF, delivering a Dutch masterclass B2B.

The two also collaborated in the studio, creating ‘Put Your Bassline,’ a track that became AMF’s first official anthem. Even months after its debut, it remains a highlight in both artists’ sets.

3. Max Styler

Contender for DJ of the year, Max Styler has done it all in 2025. From launching his label, ‘Nu Moda‘, to releasing heaters and playing to massive crowds, Styler made 2025 his year.

The future American icon put out four singles and two EPs in 2025, showcasing a relentless work ethic that was rewarded in October. Max Styler was crowned the number one producer of the year by 1001Tracklists.

His standout song of the year, ‘London’s On Fire’ landed in July and has since become his sixth most-streamed release to date.

4. Disco Lines

Disco Lines’ 2025 could be summed up in just three words when it comes to releases: ‘No Broke Boys.’ This track went places, becoming a summer hit and a serious contender for song of the year.

Achieving over 400 million streams in just five months, the record has hit the biggest stages around the world, just like its producer, who spent the year taking it on the road.

Disco Lines landed at festivals like EDC, but the highlight has been his sold-out Red Rocks debut in April which saw nearly 10,000 people in attendance.

5. ZULAN

Marking the list’s first newcomer, ZULAN has had one of the strongest rises toward the mainstream of the industry. She debuted Coachella at the DoLab back in April, when she also released her first ever song.

‘Forever’ gained attention quickly, drawing in listeners for the two releases that followed in 2025: ‘Campeón’ and ‘Match My Speed.’ While these first songs signal a bright future for ZULAN as a producer, she’s already a star on the decks.

Her tour created memorable nights in cities like Paris, New York and Monterrey, establishing ZULAN as one of the year’s most exciting performers.

6. BUNT.

BUNT. remained a big name of the scene in 2025, driven by significant collaborations as well as a massive world tour. Known for his electric parties, the artist premiered the ‘In The Greater Round Tour,’ a series of 360° shows across the globe, most of which sold out.

After the 2024 hit ‘TRIPPIN,’ BUNT. returned this year with another smashing record. ‘Spaces,’ his collaboration with The Chainsmokers was his biggest release of 2025, reaching almost 13 millions streams on Spotify

7. SIDEPIECE

SIDEPIECE have not gone unnoticed this year, in fact, they were one of the hottest names on every lineup. Maintaining their signature tech house identity, SIDEPIECE have been everywhere in 2025, with songs like ‘Cash Out’ featuring Bobby Shmurda and ‘Cry For You’ leading their roster.

Besides official releases, the duo also continued their ‘SIDEPIECE Treat‘ project, a series of free-download remixes published on Soundcloud. This year, they delivered heater edits of tracks like ‘Rich Baby Daddy’ and a ‘Somebody I Used to Know × Where I’m From’ mashup.

Live performances kept SIDEPIECE busy throughout the year, with the DJs playing high-energy sets at some of the best festivals and clubs across the US. Before their We Belong Here show in New York City, they even threw a pop-up party in a pizzeria.

8. ALLEYCVT

Another rising star of the scene, ALLEYCVT made the most of her 2025. Some of her biggest standout moments include performing at EDC Las Vegas, as well as debuting on the Monstercat label with ‘BELIEVE’, her collaboration with LEVEL UP.

2025 also marked the year she released ‘9 Lives,’ a debut EP consisting of five songs.

It has been a major breakout year for ALLEYCVT, and she shows no signs of slowing down as she prepares for the ‘9 Lives’ tour, set to kick off in January 2026.

9. Cloonee

From the first release of the year, Cloonee has been on a roll. He was named Beatport’s artist of the month in April, and lately has been ranked among the best-selling tech house artists of 2025.

Tracks like ‘X-Rated’ and ‘Not Gonna Be Your Boo’ have been on repeat for fans all year, while setting new trends in the house music scene.

July was a big month for Cloonee, as he headlined the biggest show of his career. Organised and promoted under his own label’s name, the Hellbent weekender brought a stacked lineup with likes of Chris Lorenzo and Riordan to Los Angeles’s Factory 93.

10. HNTR

HNTR reached new milestones in 2025, delivering two of the year’s most loved remixes. Released in February, ‘Stephanie (HNTR Remix)’ earned major DJ support, landing in the sets of Martin Garrix, Alok and David Guetta.

Building on that momentum, he followed up with ‘Shook Ones, Pt. III,’ a remarkable rework of Mobb Deep’s ’90s hip-hop classic.

Releases like these won him a spot on 1001Tracklists’ ‘Top 101 Producers 2025’ list, but also secured him slots at major venues around the world, including the renowned Bootshaus and 808 Festival in Bangkok.

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