Rick Snoman is more than a producer or sound engineer – he is a cornerstone in the global education of electronic dance music (EDM). With nearly three decades of experience and a Ph.D. in audio technology, Snoman has dedicated much of his career to elevating how EDM is taught, understood, and professionally practiced.
A Vision for Dance Music Education
Snoman’s most notable contribution came in 2004 when he launched the online platform Dance Music Production. Designed for aspiring EDM producers, the platform offers tutorials, resources, and structured learning for anyone seeking to master the genre. It quickly became a trusted name in EDM circles and helped fill a glaring gap in structured electronic music education during the early 2000s.
At a time when credible learning materials were scarce, Snoman’s initiative empowered a generation of producers with professional insights into arrangement, sound design, mixing, and mastering – often the very knowledge he had once struggled to access.
Authoring the Industry Standard
That same year, Snoman published Dance Music Manual through Focal Press. The book, now translated into five languages, is regarded as the industry’s leading textbook on electronic music production. It has received critical acclaim, won awards, and was shortlisted as “Outstanding Book of the Year” in 2019. Today, it is required or recommended reading in top-tier institutions including Harvard, Yale, and Cambridge.
The manual breaks down complex production concepts into practical, genre-specific techniques, covering everything from trance to techno. It is a reflection of Snoman’s ability to blend deep technical knowledge with a clear teaching style – something few in the field have achieved at this scale.
Global Recognition and Academic Leadership
Rick is also co-chair of Electronic Dance Music at the Audio Engineering Society (AES), where he plays a key role in shaping academic discourse around EDM. He has presented at AES international conferences in cities like New York and Dublin, and delivered the keynote on EDM at the NAMM Show in 2019. In 2021, he curated AES’s first-ever EDM event – setting a new benchmark for professional acknowledgment of the genre.
Through writing, speaking, and building platforms, Rick Snoman has redefined how electronic music is studied and respected. His legacy is already in motion – echoing through studios, classrooms, and dancefloors worldwide.
