What EDM Identity does

EDM Identity is a privately held digital media outlet founded in 2015 by Grant Gilmore in San Diego, California, providing editorial coverage of the electronic dance music scene to a global audience of enthusiasts. The publication operates a WordPress-based content platform with the JNews theme, organizing material into News, Music (including Exclusive Mixes and Playlists), Events (including Essential Info Guides), Culture, and Interviews sections, and distributing across owned social channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, SoundCloud, and YouTube. Core content franchises include the Artist Spotlight, Industry Spotlight, EDMID Guest Mix series (which surpassed 500 episodes), Paradigm Shift (hard dance), Bass Fidelity (bass music), and a portfolio of genre-segmented playlists.

The business model is content-led with no consumer paywall, monetizing through Amazon affiliate referrals via a dedicated Shop page and through display advertising and sponsored editorial placements with electronic music artists, promoters, and festivals. The primary customer segments are electronic music enthusiasts (ravers and festival-goers) on the demand side, and DJs, producers, and event promoters on the supply side seeking media reach within the EDM community. The company is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with 11-50 employees, and has covered festivals and artists across the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Taiwan, Thailand, and Brazil over a 10+ year operating history.

Name

EDM Identity

Legal name

EDM Identity

Website

https://edmidentity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EDM Identity is a bootstrapped, founder-owned digital media outlet that publishes editorial coverage, artist interviews, festival guides, and curated playlists for a global audience of electronic dance music enthusiasts, monetizing through advertising and Amazon affiliate referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Music Media Publishing

NAICS

Information (51), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Discovery & Curation Platforms (Recommendations, Playlists) (MPAIACAH)

Keywords

• Electronic music news
• Festival coverage
• Music journalism
• Digital media publishing
• Music content platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Affiliate/Sponsored Content: EDM Identity generates revenue through Amazon affiliate links via their Shop page (linking to amazon.com/shop/edmidentity), suggesting an affiliate commerce revenue stream. The site also features sponsored or promoted content through artist features and festival coverage.
2. Advertising: As a digital media outlet with substantial traffic, EDM Identity likely monetizes through display advertising and sponsored article placements with electronic music brands, promoters, and festivals.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EDM Identity is a digital media publication that produces original editorial coverage of the electronic dance music scene, including daily news, artist interviews, festival lineups and essential info guides, event reviews, curated genre playlists, and exclusive DJ guest mixes. Content is freely distributed via its website and a network of social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube), serving a global audience of EDM enthusiasts while monetizing through advertising and affiliate commerce.

Product overview

EDM Identity is a media/publishing platform providing comprehensive coverage of the electronic dance music industry. The company operates a unified content platform featuring news articles, music coverage, event announcements and reviews, artist interviews, and curated playlists. Core content sections include News, Music (with Exclusive Mixes and Playlists), Events (with Essential Info Guides), Culture, and Interviews. The platform serves as an authoritative voice in EDM journalism, founded by Grant Gilmore after a decade working for Pro Player Foundation, offering accurate informative coverage of the rave scene and electronic music as a whole, with particular emphasis on interviewing prominent artists and highlighting unsung heroes of the industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EDM Identity News Portal A free online electronic dance music news publication providing daily news articles, festival coverage, and industry updates to global EDM readers.
• Exclusive Mix Series An ongoing series of editorial guest mixes hosted on the EDM Identity website and SoundCloud, featuring DJ sets from both emerging and established electronic music artists across subgenres such as hard dance and bass.
• EDMID Playlists Curated music playlists organized by genre and mood, including selections such as EDMID Selects, Subterranean Sounds, Melodic Marvels, House Heaters, Dancefloor Decadence, Ethereal Awakenings, Mainstage Magic, Colossal Commotion, Drum & Bass Delights, Hard Dance Heaven, and Hard Dance Hell, aimed at EDM listeners seeking discovery.
• Essential Info Guides Comprehensive festival attendee planning guides covering set times, festival maps, transportation information, bag policies, and permitted/prohibited items for major electronic music festivals.
• EDM Identity Interviews Editorial interview content with electronic music artists, industry professionals, and event organizers, organized into series such as Artist Spotlight, Industry Spotlight, Featured Interview, and The Lowdown.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10+ years of continuous operation as a dedicated EDM media outlet
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Resident Advisor: Electronic music platform combining news, artist features, and a leading event-listing/club-ticketing marketplace. Comparable in EDM editorial mission, but with a stronger underground/house-and-techno tilt and a built-in ticketing revenue stream.
• Your EDM: Digital EDM news and lifestyle outlet serving a similar festival-going audience. Comparable in content mix (news, mixes, festival guides) and in operating as a small editorial team monetized through ads and brand partnerships.
• Dancing Astronaut: Electronic music media outlet covering news, festival coverage, premieres, and mixes. Closely overlaps EDM Identity in editorial scope, target audience of EDM enthusiasts, and revenue reliance on advertising and event partnerships.
• DJ Mag: Long-established global electronic music publication covering artists, festivals, and industry news. Comparable editorial mission and audience to EDM Identity, with the additional dimension of a print heritage and a Top 100 DJs franchise.
• EDM.com: Long-running US-based electronic music news and discovery platform covering festivals, artists, and releases. Directly comparable in audience, content categories, and ad-driven monetization model to EDM Identity.
• Mixmag: UK-based electronic music magazine covering dance music culture, artists, and global club/festival scene. Directly comparable editorial focus on dance/EDM journalism, with a longer print legacy and similar digital pivot.

Broad incumbents

• Beatport: Leading electronic music download/streaming store and editorial platform serving DJs and producers. Comparable in serving the EDM ecosystem with content, news, and curated playlists, but with a commerce-first model rather than ad-supported editorial.
• Insomniac: Major US electronic music festival promoter (EDC, Dreamstate) that also operates media channels and editorial coverage of its own events. Comparable as a content and cultural-voice player in EDM, but its primary business is event production rather than independent journalism.
• Billboard: Mass-market music trade publication covering charts, industry news, and artist features across all genres. Overlaps with EDM Identity on electronic music coverage but operates at vastly larger scale and across all genres.
• Spotify (editorial/playlist arm): Dominant audio streaming platform whose editorial team operates music discovery, playlists, and artist features in the EDM space. Overlaps with EDM Identity's playlist curation and discovery mission but at a massively larger scale with proprietary data.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/edmidentity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/edmidentity
• Facebookfacebook.com/EDMIdentity
• Instagraminstagram.com/edmidentity
• TikToktiktok.com/@edmidentity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EDM Identity