The Longevity Of EDM?

Could we be having an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) bubble? Is it going to burst soon? What if EDM will drop in popularity? Or what if an AI (artificial intelligence) software will compose better electronic music than humans? Will Diplo return to his previous job and work as a teacher? Or will Calvin Harris go back to work in a grocery store (like he used to)?

In my opinion the EDM spectrum has some black spots:

1. Boring vs Creativity: There are too many “fake” DJs in the field; lacking creativity/originality; copying each other and making the EDM genre repetitive and boring. They target “easy money” on the stage and nothing more. This is not helping EDM.  On the other hand, there are plenty of talented artists out there, making amazing innovative music. However, they have no chance to be discovered.
2. Too much money involved; EDM as a booming industry: in may countries EDM has become the synonym of “big business”. EDM has evolved from an underground (clubbing) movement to a big market for all kinds of enterprises, attracting money from big companies. Like in Sports, big budgets pressure for bigger, louder, crazier events, all over the world (like Ultra, EDC, Tomorrowland etc.). Events dominated by ready made playlists and DJs “faking” their live performance. Quantity above quality. On the other hand big budgets and big events help EDM to move further, to a next level. We should not underestimate this.

EDM or not, one thing is certain: people will continue to make computer music (electronic music) and the development of software and AI will influence a lot the future of music. Computers will learn how the brain works and they will provide the listeners with customized music patters that will match with their brain “musical” cognitive function. This will go to a level impossible to achieve with a live band.

EDM isn’t going anywhere! […] Are you asking me how long people are going to make EDM? […] Or are you asking how long people are going to make computer music? Because people won’t stop making music on the computer until computers go away. But as far as a certain culture and aspect of EDM, yeah, I do believe that it will go away […] – Deadmau5

At some point (in the near future? 2018?) the EDM hype will probably collapse and new (or old) genres will start replacing it. Most of the DJs will probably end up doing something else (like spending their big money) or will return to the underground. But the real talents, the innovators, will reinvent themselves and will surprise us with the newgenEDM. I expect Martin Garrix to still be around in the near future while Steve Aoki to spend his money on concert tickets. What do you think? Do you think EDM is going to have a ‘long tail’?