The Trance Electronic dance music genre was developed in the 1990s. Trance music started to take over the world in the early ’90s. After a few years of dominating the club scene in Germany in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Trance Music began to spread to the rest of Europe.

It is generally characterized by having a tempo or beats per minute that, generally, ranges from 128 BPM to 140 BPM; although this range does not encapsulate all sub genres. It has short melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and down throughout a track. The name is linked to the ability of music to induce an altered state of consciousness known as a trance.

The effect of some trance music has been linked to the trance-inducing music created by ancient shamanists during long periods of drumming. It is a combination of many forms of music such as industrial, techno, and house.

Trance can be purely instrumental, although vocals are also a common feature. Typically they are performed by mezzo-soprano to soprano female soloists, often without verse/chorus structure.

On another note, Trance music is often found to be closely related to classical music, as they often share similar string patterns, harmonies, and melodies.

Delay and reverb effects are used frequently and heavily, as they contribute to the atmospheric and enthralling aspect of the genre. Traditional instruments may be adopted to complement the Electronic Music properties of the genre, but this rarely goes beyond piano, guitar, and strings.

Meanwhile, there also exists Progressive Trance; wich has had many names, often being called Progressive or Progressive House. It generally ranges from 128 BPM to 136 BPM and contains more grooves and rhythms than its uplifting counterpart.

Ranging from smooth Trance vibes to the somewhat rawer implementations of Trance music, Progressive Trance often seems to be the mainstream outlet of Trance music, although many would contest that definition. However, it is definitely one of the most diverse sub genres, and therefore one of the most commercially viable ones.

Some opinions may differ on what is considered its original sound.