Progressive house music has an unmistakable legacy, and in many ways, came up as the next chapter in the story of house music. While house itself was born in Chicago’s underground clubs, progressive house emerged from the UK’s club and rave scene in the early 1990s, driven by the euphoria and creativity of that era. Producers wanted to make music that took listeners on a journey, much like the psychedelic jam bands of the 60s and 70s.

People often describe progressive house as melodic, hypnotic, and emotional. Unlike its harder-edged cousins, it thrives on subtlety and gradual changes. Tracks typically feature lush synth layers, soaring atmospheric sounds, and a sense of progression (hence the name).

In this guide, we’ll break down what makes progressive house what it is, more importantly, how you can make it yourself. We’ll go step by step, covering everything from creating your first progressive house drum groove to building melodies from scratch. By the end of this, you’ll have the tools and tricks to make tracks that could sit comfortably in a set by legends like Sasha, John Digweed, or Hernan Cattaneo. Let’s get started!

What Is Progressive House?

Progressive house first surfaced in the early 1990s, evolving as a response to the energy of the first wave of house music.

The sound took the rules, bent them, stretched them, and created something completely unique to regular house music fans. The term itself became widely recognized in 1992 when Mixmag , one of the most influential dance music publications of the time, described it as “a new breed of hard but tuneful, banging yet thoughtful, uplifting and trancey British house.” That description still holds water, even decades later.

While the UK was a massive driver of progressive house, it wasn’t the only scene. Producers in Germany, Belgium, and the United States were equally pivotal in shaping the sound. Each region brought its own flavor, creating a melting pot of ideas that helped define the genre’s early days.

Calling progressive house a single genre is like saying pizza is just one thing. Sure, there are some constants, but there’s a world of variation within. At its core, progressive house is all about progression . Producers build tension, create release, and layer sounds that evolve throughout a track.

Some artists stick squarely within its boundaries, like Nick Warren or Hernan Cattaneo, while others dip in and out, blending elements with techno, trance, or other styles. Think of Eric Prydz, Deadmau5, or even CamelPhat on occasion. It’s a broad term, and that’s what makes it exciting.

One of the defining characteristics of progressive house is its approach to arrangement . Tracks often feel like living organisms, starting with a minimal foundation and gradually adding or subtracting layers. The result is a sound that ebbs and flows, which is also why progressive house DJs are able to keep dance floors engaged for hours.

Now, if you’re wondering about where it all started, one track is often considered the cornerstone of progressive house: Not Forgotten by Leftfield, released in October 1990.

This track laid the groundwork for what progressive house would become. The song’s iconic vibe was a direct result of Leftfield’s penchant for experimentation. They were one of the first acts to fully embrace the crossover of dub influences into house, which became a hallmark for the genre’s future sound.

The Evolution of Progressive House

In the 1990s, labels like Guerilla Records, Hooj Choons, and Renaissance became synonymous with the sound. These imprints championed artists who would go on to define the genre’s golden era, including Sasha, John Digweed, and Leftfield.

By the early 2000s, progressive house began to shift. The genre leaned into deeper, more atmospheric elements, with artists like James Holden, Nathan Fake, and Luke Chable coming out of the weeds.

These producers expanded the sound palette of progressive house, experimenting with melodies, textures, and even touches of indie and techno influences. Tracks started to feel less about pure club energy and more about storytelling.

Around the same time, progressive house started splitting into two distinct directions . On one side, you had the traditionalists who stayed true to the melodic, evolving essence of the genre. On the other, the rise of big room house began to reshape the definition of "progressive house" in mainstream circles.

Acts like Swedish House Mafia and Alesso brought progressive elements into their festival-ready anthems. While undeniably popular, this big-room sound became its own thing, leaving traditional progressive house to evolve quietly on its own terms.

Today, the term “progressive house” can mean a lot of things, but at its core, it’s mainly about creating an uplifting progression. Recent artists like Lane 8, Yotto, Ben Böhmer, and Marsh are carrying the torch, creating music that feels expansive and emotional while staying true to the roots of the genre.

How to Make a Progressive House Track

Get Your Drums Down

Let’s kick things off by building the foundation of your progressive house track - the drums. Progressive house typically sits in 4/4 time, with tempos ranging from 122 to 130 BPM.

I usually like to start by setting up a progressive house drum kit in something like Ableton’s Drum Rack, Native Instruments’ Battery 4 , or any sampler that works for you. For a solid kit, you’ll need:

• A punchy kick
• A selection of closed and open hi-hats
• A clap or snare
• A few percussion hits like shakers, toms, or congas

Kicks should be deep but tight, claps/snare hits should sit nicely in the upper midrange, and your hi-hats should be crisp and sparkly.

Create a MIDI track for your kick first . Progressive house kicks usually hit on every quarter note (four-to-the-floor) to provide a steady pulse that drives the track.

Once your kick is locked in, you can program the rest of the drum groove on separate tracks.

• Hi-hats : Place closed hi-hats on the offbeats to keep the rhythm lively. Open hi-hats can come in every couple of bars for variation.
• Clap/Snare : Drop these on the second and fourth beats of each bar. This creates the classic groove most dance music is built on.
• Percussion : Add shakers, rimshots, or toms to give your groove some swing and character. These don’t need to hit on every beat. I usually like to use them sparingly to add movement.

Pay close attention to velocity when programming, and vary the velocity of your hi-hats and percussion hits to make them feel more human.

I also like to take this time to clean up my drum elements with EQ . For example, I might roll off any unnecessary low frequencies on hi-hats, claps, and percussion to avoid clashing with the kick.

A Quick Note on Drum Bus Processing

Here’s where things start to sound professional.

Group all your drum tracks into a drum bus, as processing everything together will help your drums feel cohesive. On your drum bus, consider adding:

• Compression : A touch of bus compression glues your drums together, smoothing out peaks and giving a tighter overall feel (I'm a big fan of the API 2500 for electronic drum bus compression).
• EQ : Add a few subtle boosts or cuts to enhance the character of the entire drum group (Pultec-style EQs can be great here).
• Saturation : Light saturation can add warmth and harmonic richness to your drums (I like Saturn 2, as it lets me saturate the mids and highs while leaving the low end clean).

Lay Down the Bass

Now that we've got a solid drum foundation, it's time to add some low-end punch with a bassline.

The type of bass sound you choose will depend on what you want the track to sound like. A punchy, tight bass works well with a driving kick drum, while a more atmospheric, hypnotic track might call for a rounder, subby bass.

Some of my favorite VSTs for progressive house basslines include Sylenth 1 and Massive X .

I recommend listening to some of your favorite progressive house tracks to get some rhythmic and melodic ideas for your bassline.

Once it's laid down and you have something you like, you can use sidechaining to keep the bass from clashing with the kick. In this context, we can 'key' the kick drum to control the volume of the bass.

Here's a video that explains this more in detail:

Create a Chord Progression

Now that we have a solid foundation with drums and bass, let's add a chord progression.

Some of my favorite VSTs for progressive house music include Serum, Massive X, and Omnisphere (especially for pianos and strings).

If you've made your bassline first, you can derive your chord progression from that. By analyzing the notes in your bassline, you can identify the key and find a progression that works.

If you're not well-versed in music theory, don't worry! Many DAWs and VSTs offer tools to automatically generate chord progressions. For example, Ableton Live has a built-in tool called "Chord" that can create chords based on a given key and scale.

If your chords are still feeling a bit lackluster, you might try adding effects like delay and reverb. For example, you could send your chords to a small hall or plate without pre-delay to make them feel more spacious.

I also like to add delay directly to my chord tracks with a 15-20% wet mix and an 1/8 dotted note delay that's synced with my session's BPM.

Again (an you'll probably start to notice a pattern here), you can avoid unnecessary mud in the low-end by high-pass filtering your chords and getting rid of anything below 80-100Hz.

Layer with Simple Strings or Synths

From here, I often like to layer my chords with a simple string or synth pad. This sustained sound can help to fill out the space between the chord progressions and create a more immersive listening experience.

You only need to create one bar of this sound and then loop it throughout the track. Keep it simple and let it blend into the background.

Write Your Melody

Of course, the most memorable part of your progressive house track will be your melody, which is why you should spend some time here to make sure it works. There are infinite ways to approach your melodic elements, so I'll just provide you with a few tips:

• Keep it Simple: A simple, catchy melody is often more effective than a complex one.
• Use Arpeggios: Arpeggiated synth lines are some of the best for adding energy and movement.
• Reference Classic Progressive House Music: Listen to classic tracks from progressive house producers like Sasha, John Digweed, and Deadmau5 to get inspiration.

For example, the iconic melody in Deadmau5's "Strobe" is a simple, repetitive synth line, yet it's incredibly memorable.

Add Effects

l love experimenting with effects in progressive house music, as there are endles s ways to experiment. With most of my effects, I like to create return tracks in my DAW and add reverbs or delay to those.

For example, I might add a massive reverb from one of my favorite reverb plugins, Valhalla VintageVerb , and send my melody to it to give it a larger-than-life feel.

Or, I might send some of my drums elements, such as my claps or hats, to a smaller room reverb to make it sound like they're all being "played" in the same space.

FabFilter's Pro-R 2 is one of the best reverbs for clean room sounds.

You can even have fun and use the elements in your track as effects themselves. For instance, you can create a new audio track and duplicate your snare onto it with a long reverb set to fully wet.

From there, print the track with the long reverb and reverse it for a natural-sounding riser.

Arrange Your Track

One of my favorite ways to come up with arrangements for my tracks is by using references. Put on a pair of headphones and listen to some progressive house tracks and see how they were arranged.

You can even drop it straight into your DAW and use arrangement markers to separate the various sections.

Most progressive house tracks have intros, which are pretty minimal. The remaining elements are often added as the track moves forward. Some of the best progressive house tracks have contrasting arrangements with ebbs and flows (build-ups and drops, if you will).

Your typical progressive house track might look something like this:

• Intro
• Slow Build
• Hook
• Second Build
• Hook or Main Drop
• Buildup
• Outro

Don't be afraid to steal arrangements from some of your favorite progressive house producers!

Mixing and Mastering

If mixing music isn't really your thing or you're new to it, I recommend checking out our starter guide .

Mixing electronic dance music is truly an entirely different ballgame than mixing other styles of music, and there are certain standards and techniques you'll want to keep in mind.

One of my biggest recommendations is to use reference tracks to compare your mix to professional tracks. REFERENCE is one of my favorite plugins for this.

This will give you a rough guide for your volume balance, EQ, compression, panning, and so on.

Of course, you can also check out eMastered's one-of-a-kind AI mastering algorithm , which was created using some of the most cutting-edge tools in the music industry.

Final Thoughts

At this point, you should be ready to make your own progressive house track!

If you want to learn even more, check out our blogs about How to Make Electronic Music: A Beginner's Guide and Mixing EDM: The Complete Guide .