K-EDM on the Rise... One in Four Electronic Tracks Is by a Korean Artist

Spotify Korea Sees June Streams Up 60.4%
Korean Artist Share Rises from 9.8% to 24.4%
Global Market Expanding... Spotlight on Korean EDM
Platforms Foster Emerging DJs and Producers

An outdoor EDM party titled "Seoul Spring Festa: Enjoying EDM at Seoul Plaza" is taking place at Seoul Plaza in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The share of Korean artists in the domestic EDM (electronic dance music) market is rapidly expanding. While consumption of electronic music in South Korea has traditionally been dominated by well-known overseas DJs and producers, it is now broadening to center around Korean creators. Although the electronic genre still accounts for only about 3% of overall music consumption, streams of music by Korean artists have increased more than fourfold in just half a year.

According to global music streaming platform Spotify on July 21, in the first half of this year, domestic streams of Korean electronic artists grew by more than 300% compared to the second half of last year—surpassing a fourfold increase. During the same period, the share of Korean artists in total electronic music consumption in South Korea rose from 9.8% to 24.4%, an increase of 14.6 percentage points. Korean music, which used to account for less than 1 in 10 streams, now makes up about 1 in 4.

Overall electronic music consumption has also shown an upward trend. Last month, domestic streams of electronic music increased by 60.4% compared to the same month last year, and accumulated streams in the first half of this year rose by 46.2% from the second half of last year. The share of electronic genres within total Spotify music streams expanded from 3.06% to 3.42%.

So far, the domestic electronic music market has been formed around overseas artists; in the second half of last year, Korean artists accounted for only 9.8% of consumption in South Korea. Domestic DJs and producers have mainly been active through clubs, small-scale performances, and independent albums, but have had limited opportunities to gain recognition on mainstream music charts or through broadcasts.

Electronic music is a genre where the DJ’s selection, performance, club culture, and online playlists drive the music’s spread, rather than the singer’s name recognition or individual hit songs. Even if tracks do not reach the upper ranks of mainstream music charts, it is common for songs discovered through playlists to lead to concert attendance and additional listening.

This shift in the domestic market is tied to growth in the global electronic music industry. According to the “Electronic Music Industry Report 2025/26,” published in April by International Music Summit (IMS) and MIDiA Research, the global electronic music industry reached a size of $15.1 billion (approx. KRW 22.4 trillion) last year, marking 7% growth from the previous year. This figure includes albums, music releases, music publishing, digital service providers (DSP), festivals and clubs, production tools, merchandise, and sponsorships.

IMS identified Seoul alongside Indonesia’s breakbeat, Vietnam’s Vinahouse, and Colombia’s Guaracha as local music ecosystems showing rapid growth on SoundCloud. The report highly valued the fact that regional creators are building their own unique musical identities rather than simply following global trends. It found that, moving beyond a structure where world-renowned DJs dominated, locally-rooted creative communities are now growing autonomously at national and urban levels.

However, it may still be premature to say the domestic electronic music market has entered a full-fledged growth trajectory. Electronic genres account for only 3.42% of total Spotify music streams, and the increase from the second half of last year was just 0.36 percentage points, indicating that the absolute market size remains limited.

Spotify is collaborating with the creative collective Unborn Sounds to discover and nurture emerging domestic DJs and operates playlists introducing Korean electronic music. Unborn Sounds plans to continue artist development programs, live shows, community events, and creative support throughout the year.

Electronic music is less reliant on lyrics, enabling it to cross language barriers more easily in overseas markets. Should music that has established a listener base through domestic playlists spread to international playlists, it is likely to gain exposure to foreign audiences and event organizers. Mark Mulligan, founder of MIDiA Research, commented, "Last year was another year of significant growth for the global electronic music market," adding, "The market expanded on the back of active local music ecosystems." He also noted, "Fandom and local stages are the two pillars that drive the electronic music market."

However, if an increase in platform users does not translate into more performance opportunities and income for creators, the market’s expansion will not be widely felt. For the domestic increase in listeners to become a full-fledged industry rather than a temporary trend, an ecosystem needs to develop where playlist-driven interest leads to concert attendance and music revenue. An industry insider remarked, "The market is changing from one that consumed imported music by overseas artists to one where Korean creators are directly sought out by listeners," adding, "In order to sustain this growth momentum, it is critical to expand the foundation for performances and distribution so that domestic DJs and producers can continue releasing work and remain active."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.