Sometimes described as a mix between Techno and House music, Trance music stands out from those genres due to a heavy focus on melodies, harmonies and rich atmospheres. Its tempo (or beats per minute) generally ranges from 128 BPM to 140 BPM, although some of its sub genres exceed that range. Trance music is known for its enduring breakdowns and build-ups (which tend to leave people in a "trance") and is often found to be closely related to classical music, often adopting similar string patterns, harmonies and melodies.

Digging into the more technical aspects of Trance music, delay and reverb effects are used frequently and heavily to strengthen the atmospheric feel of the music. Traditional instruments are sometimes used alongside the electronically produced sounds, but this rarely goes beyond piano, guitar and strings. There are exceptions of course. Trance pioneer Armin van Buuren used some non-traditional instruments in a number of songs on his sixth studio album ('Embrace'). Title track ‘Embrace’, which features Jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans, is a great example of that.