Beginning in 1973 and continuing through the late 1970s and early 1980s, hip-hop turntablists such as DJ Kool Herc began using several funk breaks in a row, using drum breaks from jazz-funk tracks such as James Brown's "Funky Drummer" and the Winstons' "Amen, Brother", to form the rhythmic base for hip-hop songs.

DJ Kool Herc's breaks style involved playing the same record on two turntables and playing the break repeatedly, alternating between the two records. Grandmaster Flash perfected this idea with what he called the "quick-mix theory": he would mark the points on the record where the break began and ended with a crayon, so that he could easily replay the break by spinning the record and not touching the tone arm. This style was copied and improved upon by early hip-hop DJs Afrika Bambaataa and Grand Wizard Theodore.^{[dubious – discuss]} This style was extremely popular in clubs and dancehalls because the extended breaks compositions provided breakers with more opportunities to showcase their skills.

In the late 1970s, breakbeats had attained a large presence in hip-hop. In the 1980s, the evolution of technology began to make sampling breaks easier and more affordable for DJs and producers, which helped nurture the commercialization of hip-hop. Through early techniques such as pausing tapes and then recording the break, by the 1980s, technology allowed anybody with a tape recorder to find the breakbeat.

In the late-1980s, breakbeat became an essential feature of many genres of breaks music which became popular within the global dance music scene, including acid breaks, electro-funk, and Miami bass, and a decade later big beat and nu skool breaks.

In the early 1990s, acid house artists and producers started using breakbeat samples in their music to create breakbeat hardcore. The hardcore scene then diverged into subgenres like jungle and drum and bass, which generally was faster and focused more on complex sampled drum patterns. An example of this is Goldie's album Timeless. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever-changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out, trance-like state that the standard, steady 4/4 beats of house enabled.

Incorporating many components of those genres, the Florida breaks subgenre followed during the early-to-mid 1990s and had a unique sound that was soon internationally popular among producers, DJs, and club-goers.

In 1994, the influential techno act Autechre released Anti EP in response to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, deliberately using advanced algorithmic programming to generate non-repetitive breakbeats for the full duration of the tracks, in order to subvert the legal definitions within that legislation which specified in the section creating police powers to remove ravers from raves that "'music' includes sounds wholly or predominantly characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats".

In the late 1990s, another style of breakbeat emerged, 'big beat', a style that was incorporating elements of trance, hip-hop and jungle. It was pioneered by the Chemical Brothers and James Lavelle's Mo'Wax imprint. The genre had commercial peak in 1997, when such music was topping in pop charts and often featured in commercials. The most notable artists of the sound were the Prodigy, Death in Vegas, the Crystal Method, and Propellerheads.

In the 2020s, breakbeats became a common signature in songs done by British popstar PinkPantheress.

The Amen break, a drum break from the Winstons' song "Amen, Brother" is widely regarded as one of the most widely used and sampled breaks among music using breakbeats. One of the earliest uses of the Amen break was on "King of the Beats" by Mantronix, and has since been used in thousands of songs. Other popular breaks are from James Brown's "Funky Drummer" (1970) and "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" (1969), the Incredible Bongo Band's 1973 cover of the Shadows' "Apache", and Lyn Collins's 1972 song "Think (About It)". The Winstons have not received royalties for third-party use of samples of the break recorded on their original music release.

With the rise in popularity of breakbeat music and the advent of digital audio samplers, companies started selling "breakbeat packages" for the express purpose of helping artists create breakbeats. A breakbeat kit CD would contain many breakbeat samples from different songs and artists, often without the artist's permission or even knowledge.

"Acid breaks" or "chemical breaks" is acid house, but with a breakbeat instead of a house beat. One of the earliest synthesizers to be employed in acid music was the Roland TB-303, which makes use of a resonant low-pass filter to emphasize the harmonics of the sound.

The Asian breakbeat scene is a remix genre blending elements of freestyle, electro, progressive trance melodies, Florida breaks drums and Southern crunk rap. It was originated and made popular by predominantly Vietnamese American and Southeast Asian DJs throughout the U.S. South (Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina) during the 1990s and 2000s. Notable active DJs include New Orleans's DJ Babyboi, Tinman, and Loopy.

Big beat is a term employed since the mid-1990s by the British music press to describe much of the music by artists such as the Prodigy, Cut La Roc, Fatboy Slim, the Chemical Brothers, the Crystal Method and Propellerheads typically driven by heavy breakbeats combined with four-on-the floor kick drums, synthesizer-generated loops and patterns in common with established forms of electronic dance music such as techno and acid house.

Breakbeat combined with electro music, often using 80s synths, robotic sounds, vocals with vocoders or talkboxes, and infused with elements of funk. Electro breaks was pioneered by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force, Kraftwerk, Man Parrish, Cybotron, and Newcleus.

In Spain from the mid-1990s to early 2000s, breakbeat became a massive social movement, especially in the southern part of the country, Andalusia.

Largely responsible for the spread of the "broken rhythm" in Andalusia, was the public radio station of the autonomous community: Canal Sur Radio and Canal Fiesta, known at that time as Fórmula 1, where the program "Mundo Evassion" was broadcast, or "Evassion Planet" which was presented by Dani Moreno. Artists of that era included Digital Base, Dj Nitro, Jordi Slate, Man, Wally, Kultur, Jan B, Anuschka, and Ale Baquero.

The breakbeat of Andalusia has formed its own style, based on a simple structure of pre breaks + pre drop + drop. All this is repeated a second time with some variations in the song. With this structure, the tracks are mixed when one has passed the drop, until the pre drop of the next one arrives, respecting the melodies without breaks.

Andalusian breakbeat has once again become a mass industry, with festivals almost exclusively dedicated to this genre, such as the Winter Festival, Summer Festival, Floridance, Retro Fest, and Olibass.

Progressive breaks or prog breaks, also known as atmospheric breaks, is a subgenre of breaks that is essentially a fusion of breakbeat and progressive house. Much like progressive house, this subgenre is characterized by its "trancey" sound. Its defining traits include extended synthesizer pads and washes, melodic synth leads, heavy reverberation, and electronic breakbeats. However, unlike progressive house, very few progressive breaks tracks have vocals, with most tracks being entirely instrumental or using only electronically altered snippets of vocal samples for sonic effect. Typical progressive breaks tracks will often have a long build-up section that leads to a breakdown and a climax, often having numerous sonic elements being added or subtracted from the track at various intervals in order to increase its intensity. Progressive breaks artists include Hybrid, BT, Way Out West, Digital Witchcraft, Momu, Wrecked Angle, Fourthstate, Burufunk, Under This and Fretwell.

Club DJs, commonly referred to as DJs in general, play music at musical events, such as parties at music venues or bars, clubs, music festivals, corporate, and private events. Typically, club DJs mix music recordings from two or more sources using different mixing techniques to produce a non-stop flow of music. Mixing began with hip-hop in the 1970s and would subsequently expand to other genres in especially (but not exclusively) dance music. A DJ who mostly plays and mixes one specific music genre is often given the title of that genre; for example, a DJ who plays hip-hop is called a hip-hop DJ, a DJ who plays house music is a house DJ, a DJ who plays techno is called a techno DJ, and so on.

The quality of a DJ performance (often called a DJ mix or DJ set) consists of two main features: technical skills, or how well the DJ can operate the equipment and produce smooth transitions between two or more recordings and a playlist; and the ability of a DJ to select the most suitable recordings, also known as "reading the crowd". One key technique used for seamlessly transitioning from one song to another is beatmatching.

In hip-hop, DJs may create beats, using percussion breaks, basslines, and other musical content sampled from pre-existing records. In hip-hop, rappers and MCs use these beats to rap over.

Radio DJs or radio personalities introduce and play music broadcasts on AM, FM, digital, or Internet radio stations.

In Jamaican music, a deejay (DJ) is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and "toasts" (recites poetry) to an instrumental riddim. Deejays are not to be confused with DJs from other music genres, like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall and reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors. Deejays whose style is nearer to singing are sometimes called singjays.

Turntablists, also called battle DJs, use turntables and DJ mixer to manipulate recorded sounds to produce new music. In essence, they use DJ equipment as a musical instrument. Perhaps the best-known turntablist technique is scratching. Turntablists often participate in DJ contests like DMC World DJ Championships.

A resident DJ performs at a venue on a regular basis or permanently. They would perform regularly (typically under an agreement) in a particular discotheque, a particular club, a particular event, or a particular broadcasting station. Residents have a decisive influence on the club or a series of events. Per agreement with the management or company, the DJ would have to perform under agreed times and dates. Typically, DJs perform as residents for two or three times in a week, for example, on Friday and Saturday. DJs who make a steady income from a venue are also considered resident DJs.

• Bedroom DJs – A non-professional DJ who mixes music in their room as a hobby, rather than on radio or in a music venue such as a bar or a nightclub. Bedroom DJs are normally motivated by a desire to hone their skills and have fun with friends. Many professional DJs start out as bedroom DJs but not all bedroom DJs want to become professional – some are content being hobbyists. Most bedroom DJs generally have small set-ups of basic equipment. They might be learning how to DJ on a laptop or have a controller.
• Mobile DJs – DJs with their own portable audio sound systems who specialize in performing at gatherings such as block parties, street fairs, taverns, weddings, birthdays, school and corporate events. Mobile DJs may also offer lighting packages and video systems.

• DJanes – a term describing women DJs used in countries such as Germany that employ grammatical gender in their languages
• Celebrity DJs – widely known celebrities performing as DJs.

The following alphabetical selection lists 50 widely covered women DJs active since the 2000s, reflecting sustained coverage in international polls, critics' lists and major media (e.g., DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs, Billboard's Dance 100, Mixmag, and Resident Advisor). See also recurring international rankings and end-of-year features that document women's prominence in DJ culture.

• Alison Wonderland – Australian DJ and producer working across bass and electro-pop, noted for large-scale festival performances.
• Amelie Lens – Belgian techno DJ and label head of KNTXT, associated with peak-time, hard-edged sets.
• Anna Lunoe – Australian house DJ, vocalist and producer; also known for international radio and club residencies.
• Anja Schneider – German techno/house DJ and producer; longtime label curator and A&R.
• Annie Mac – Irish DJ and broadcaster, former BBC Radio 1 host and champion of emergent dance acts.
• Annie Nightingale – British broadcaster and pioneering BBC Radio 1 DJ who helped mainstream club culture.
• B.Traits – Canadian DJ/producer and former BBC Radio 1 presenter with a multi-genre club and radio profile.
• Cassy – Austrian-born house/techno DJ, producer and vocalist with residencies at leading European clubs.
• Charlotte de Witte – Belgian techno DJ/producer and KNTXT founder, known for high-intensity, streamlined techno.
• Chloé – French DJ/producer associated with minimal, electro and filmic electronics; runs Lumière Noire.
• DJ Minx – Detroit house/techno DJ and founder of Women on Wax, active since the 1990s.
• DJ Paulette – British house DJ with historic residencies at Hacienda, Ministry of Sound and Paris clubs.
• DJ Rap – British DJ/producer linked to drum and bass and jungle; founder of Propa Talent.
• DJ Rekha – British-born, US-based DJ credited with popularizing bhangra in New York through Basement Bhangra.
• DJ Soda – South Korean EDM/pop DJ with a mainstream festival and club presence across Asia.
• DJ Spinderella – American DJ best known as member of Salt-N-Pepa and as a solo club DJ.
• Eclair Fifi – Scottish DJ and curator associated with the LuckyMe collective and forward-looking club music.
• Ellen Allien – German techno DJ/producer; founder of BPitch Control and fixture of Berlin's scene.
• HAAi – Australian-born, London-based DJ/producer blending psychedelic textures with techno and left-field dance.
• Hannah Wants – British house/bass DJ recognized for energetic club sets and UK radio work.
• Heidi – Canadian-born DJ known for jackin' house and techno; creator of the Jackathon brand.
• Helena Hauff – German DJ/producer famed for raw electro, acid and industrial-leaning techno.
• Honey Dijon – Chicago-born house DJ/producer with deep roots in US club culture and fashion collaborations.
• Ikonika – British DJ/producer associated with Hyperdub and UK bass/experimental club sounds.
• Jayda G – Canadian DJ/producer bridging disco, house and contemporary club music.
• K-Hand – Detroit techno/house DJ and producer; founder of Acacia Records and early Motor City pioneer.
• Kemistry & Storm – British drum-and-bass duo closely associated with Metalheadz and UK club culture.
• Lady Starlight – American DJ and live techno performer known for hardware-driven sets.
• Laurel Halo – American electronic musician and DJ spanning experimental techno, ambient and sound art.
• Magda – Polish-born American DJ tied to minimal techno and the Minus/Detroit networks.
• Mary Anne Hobbs – English DJ and curator known for radio advocacy of experimental and bass music.
• Maya Jane Coles – British-Japanese DJ/producer across deep and tech house, also records as Nocturnal Sunshine.
• Mija – American DJ/producer working between house, bass and indie-leaning club sounds.
• Miss Djax – Dutch DJ/producer; founder of Djax-Up-Beats and influential in European techno.
• Miss Kittin – French DJ/singer central to electroclash and electro-techno, often with The Hacker.
• Miss Monique – Ukrainian progressive and melodic house DJ/producer; known for widely viewed mixes.
• Monika Kruse – German techno DJ/producer and Terminal M label founder with decades-long career.
• Nastia – Ukrainian DJ/label owner (Propaganda) noted for fast, percussive techno sets.
• Nicole Moudaber – Lebanese-Nigerian DJ/producer; runs MOOD Records and global techno events.
• Nina Kraviz – Russian DJ/producer spanning techno, acid and trance; founder of трип (Trip) label.
• Nina Las Vegas – Australian DJ/curator and former Triple J presenter; head of the NLV Records imprint.
• Nora En Pure – South African-Swiss DJ/producer associated with deep and melodic house; leads Purified brand.
• Paula Temple – British techno DJ/producer known for abrasive, industrial-leaning sound design.
• Peggy Gou – South Korean DJ/producer; Gudu Records founder with global club and festival profile.
• Rezz – Canadian DJ/producer recognized for mid-tempo, hypnotic bass music and immersive visuals.
• Sama' Abdulhadi – Palestinian techno DJ/producer and prominent figure in the West Asian scene.
• Soledad Rodríguez Zubieta – Argentine DJ, radio host and music curator noted for "sonic decoration" in hospitality and retail.
• TOKiMONSTA – American producer/DJ blending hip-hop and electronic; founder of Young Art Records.
• Yaeji – Korean-American singer/producer/DJ combining house, pop and bilingual vocals in club contexts.

Turntables allow DJs to play vinyl records. By adjusting the playback speed of the turntable, either by adjusting the speed knob or by manipulating the platter (e.g., by slowing down the platter by putting a finger gently along the side), DJs can match the tempos of different records so their rhythms can be played together at the same time without clashing or make a smooth, seamless transition from one song to another. This technique is known as beatmatching. DJs typically replace the rubber mat on turntables that keep the record moving in sync with the turntable with a slipmat that facilitates manipulating the playback of the record by hand. With the slipmat, the DJ can stop or slow down the record while the turntable is still spinning. Direct-drive turntables are the type preferred by DJs. Belt-drive turntables are less expensive, but they are not suitable for turntablism and DJing, because the belt-drive motor can be damaged by this type of manipulation. Some DJs, most commonly those who play hip-hop, go beyond merely mixing records and use turntables as musical instruments for scratching, beat juggling, and other turntablism techniques.

CDJs / media players are high-quality digital media players made for DJing. They often have large jog wheels and pitch controls to allow DJs to manipulate the playback of digital files for beatmatching similar to how DJs manipulate vinyl records on turntables. CDJs often have features such as loops and waveform displays similar to DJ software. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, they now can play digital music files stored on USB flash drives and SD cards. Some CDJs can also connect to a computer running DJ software to act as a DJ controller. Modern media players have the ability to stream music from online music providers such as Beatport, Beatsource, Tidal, and SoundCloud GO.

DJ mixers are small audio mixing consoles specialized for DJing. Most DJ mixers have far fewer channels than a mixer used by a record producer or audio engineer; whereas standard live sound mixers in small venues have 12 to 24 channels, and standard recording studio mixers have even more (as many as 72 on large boards), basic DJ mixers may have only two channels. While DJ mixers have many of the same features found on larger mixers (faders, equalization knobs, gain knobs, effects units, etc.), DJ mixers have a feature that is usually only found on DJ mixers: the crossfader. The crossfader is a type of fader that is mounted horizontally. DJs used the crossfader to mix two or more sound sources. The midpoint of the crossfader's travel is a 50/50 mix of the two channels (on a two-channel mixer). The far left side of the crossfader provides only the channel A sound source. The far right side provides only the channel B sound source (e.g., record player number 2). Positions in between the two extremes provide different mixes of the two channels. Some DJs use a computer with DJ software and a DJ controller instead of an analog DJ mixer to mix music, although DJ software can be used in conjunction with a hardware DJ mixer.

DJs generally use higher-quality headphones than those designed for music consumers. DJ headphones have other properties useful for DJs, such as designs that acoustically isolate the sounds of the headphones from the outside environment (hard shell headphones), flexible headbands and pivot joints to allow DJs to listen to one side of the headphones while turning the other headphone away (so they can monitor the mix in the club), and replaceable cables. Replaceable cables enable DJs to buy new cables if a cable becomes frayed, worn, or damaged, or if a cable is accidentally cut.

Closed-back headphones are highly recommended for DJs to block outside noise as the environment of DJ usually tends to be very noisy. Standard headphones have a 3.5mm jack but DJ equipment usually requires ¼ inch jack. Most specialized DJ Headphones have an adapter to switch between a 3.5mm jack and ¼ inch jack. Detachable coiled cables are perfect for DJ Headphones.

DJs have changed their equipment as new technologies are introduced. The earliest DJs in pop music, in 1970s discos, used record turntables, vinyl records and audio consoles. In the 1970s, DJs would have to lug heavy direct-drive turntables and crates of records to clubs and shows. In the 1980s, many DJs transitioned to compact cassettes. In the 1990s and 2000s, many DJs switched to using digital audio such as CDs and MP3 files. As technological advances made it practical to store large collections of digital music files on a laptop computer, DJ software was developed so DJs could use a laptop as a source of music instead of transporting CDs or vinyl records to gigs. Unlike most music player software designed for regular consumers, DJ software can play at least two audio files simultaneously, display the waveforms of the files on screen and enable the DJ to listen to either source.

The waveforms allow the DJ to see what is coming next in the music and how the playback of different files is aligned. The software analyzes music files to identify their tempo and where the beats are. The analyzed information can be used by the DJ to help manually beatmatch like with vinyl records or the software can automatically synchronize the beats. Digital signal processing algorithms in software allow DJs to adjust the tempo of recordings independently of their pitch and musical key, a feature known as "keylock". Some software analyzes the loudness of the music for automatic normalization with ReplayGain and detects the musical key. Additionally, DJ software can store cue points, set loops, and apply effects.

As tablet computers and smartphones became widespread, DJ software was written to run on these devices in addition to laptops. DJ software requires specialized hardware in addition to a computer to fully take advantage of its features. The consumer-grade, regular sound card integrated into most computer motherboards can only output two channels (one stereo pair). However, DJs need to be able to output at least four channels (two stereo pairs, thus Left and Right for input 1 and Left and Right for input 2), either unmixed signals to send to a DJ mixer or the main output plus a headphone output. Additionally, DJ sound cards output higher-quality signals than the sound cards built into consumer-grade computer motherboards.

Special vinyl records (or CDs/digital files played with CDJs) can be used with DJ software to play digital music files with DJ software as if they were pressed onto vinyl, allowing turntablism techniques to be used with digital files. These vinyl records do not have music recordings pressed onto them. Instead, they are pressed with timecode for controlling DJ software. The DJ software interprets changes in the playback speed, direction, and position of the timecode signal and manipulates the digital files it is playing in the same way that the turntable manipulates the timecode record.

A system that uses timecode vinyl is called a digital vinyl system (DVS). Some DVS systems require a specialized DJ sound card with at least 4 channels (2 stereo pairs) of inputs and outputs. With this setup, the DJ software typically outputs unmixed signals from the music files to an external hardware DJ mixer. Some DJ mixers have integrated USB sound cards that allow DJ software to connect directly to the mixer without requiring a separate sound card.

A DJ software can be used to mix audio files on the computer instead of a separate hardware mixer. When mixing on a computer, DJs often use a DJ controller device that mimics the layout of two turntables plus a DJ mixer to control the software rather than the computer keyboard & touchpad on a laptop, or the touchscreen on a tablet computer or smartphone. Many DJ controllers have an integrated sound card with 4 output channels (2 stereo pairs) that allow the DJ to use headphones to preview music before playing it on the main output.

• A microphone, so that the DJ can introduce songs and speak to the audience over the sound system
• Electronic effects units such as delay, reverb, octave, equalizer, chorus, etc.
• Multi-stylus head shells, which allow a DJ to play different grooves of the same record at the same time
• Synthesizers, Samplers, sequencers, or drum machines
• PA system or sound reinforcement system (power amplifiers and speaker enclosures), typically including subwoofer cabinets for deep bass (or, if a DJ is broadcasting and/or recording a set, broadcasting equipment or recording gear)
• Monitor speakers, for listening to the "house mix" that is playing over the main speakers

In DJ culture, miming refers to the practice of DJs pantomiming the actions of live-mixing a set on stage while a pre-recorded mix plays over the sound system. Miming mixing in a live performance is considered to be controversial within DJ culture. Some within the DJ community say that miming is increasingly used as a technique by celebrity model DJs who may lack mixing skills, but can draw big crowds to a venue.

Drum and bass traces its roots to the UK rave scene and breakbeat hardcore of the late 1980s. Tracks such as Lennie De Ice's We Are I.E. (1991) combined breakbeats with reggae-influenced basslines and are often cited as precursors to jungle and drum and bass. Early producers including 4hero, Doc Scott, LTJ Bukem, Goldie, and Grooverider began shaping the sound by stripping away elements of hardcore rave music and emphasising bass and complex drum patterns.

By 1994, jungle—a style closely related to and often overlapping with early drum and bass—had entered mainstream UK youth culture. It was associated with sound system traditions, MC culture, and samples from reggae and dancehall. The genre further developed, incorporating and fusing elements from a wide range of existing musical genres, including the raggamuffin sound, dancehall, MC chants, dub basslines, and increasingly complex, heavily edited breakbeat percussion. Despite the affiliation with the ecstasy-fuelled rave scene, jungle also inherited associations with violence and criminal activity, both from the gang culture that had affected the UK's hip-hop scene and as a consequence of jungle's often aggressive or menacing sound and themes of violence (usually reflected in the choice of samples). However, this developed in tandem with the often positive reputation of the music as part of the wider rave scene and dancehall-based Jamaican music culture prevalent in London. By 1995, whether as a reaction to, or independently of this cultural schism, some jungle producers began to move away from the ragga-influenced style and create what would become collectively labelled, for convenience, as drum and bass.

Additional subgenres emerged in mid-1990s including techstep, influenced by techno and science-fiction aesthetics. Parallel to these, more melodic and accessible forms like liquid funk emerged, pioneered by artists such as High Contrast and Calibre. Drum and bass became more polished and technically sophisticated in the mid-late 1990s. Subgenres such as hardstep, jump up, ragga, jazzstep and what was known as intelligent drum and bass emerged. Roni Size & Reprazent's album New Forms (1997) won the Mercury Prize, signalling wider critical recognition. Drum and bass began to expand its reach from pirate radio to commercial stations and gain widespread acceptance in the late 1990s, when darker styles such as neurofunk developed.

The 2000s saw drum and bass spread globally, with scenes developing in continental Europe, North America, Australia, and Brazil (where "sambass" fused local rhythms with D&B).

The emergence of related styles such as liquid funk in the 2000s brought a wave of new artists incorporating new ideas and techniques, supporting continual evolution of the genre.

With the growth of digital distribution and streaming platforms, drum and bass continued to evolve in the 2010s. Artists such as Pendulum, Chase & Status, and Netsky achieved mainstream chart success while maintaining ties to the underground scene.

In the 2020s, the genre has experienced renewed popularity. In 2021, Pitchfork noted a "rising zoomer affinity" for the genre in the 2020s. Streaming in the UK grew by approximately 94% between 2021 and 2024, with a majority of listeners under age 34. Emerging artists such as Nia Archives, Bou, and goddard., alongside established acts like Chase & Status, Sub Focus, and Hybrid Minds, have brought drum and bass to wider audiences through festivals, collaborations, and viral tracks. Purple Sneakers described a "drum n' bass Renaissance" occurring at the time of the publication of their articles in 2023.

A very strong influence on jungle and drum and bass, thanks to the British African-Caribbean sound system scene, is the original Jamaican dub and reggae sound, with pioneers such as King Tubby, Peter Tosh, Sly & Robbie, Bill Laswell, Lee Perry, Mad Professor, Roots Radics, Bob Marley and Buju Banton heavily influencing the music. This influence has lessened over time, but is still evident, with many tracks containing ragga vocals.

As a musical style built around funk or syncopated rock and roll breaks, James Brown, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, the Supremes, the Commodores, Jerry Lee Lewis, and even Michael Jackson acted as funk influences on the music. Jazz pioneer Miles Davis has been named as a possible influence. Blues artists such as Lead Belly, Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Muddy Waters and B. B. King have also been cited by producers as inspirations. Even modern avant-garde composers such as Henryk Gorecki have received mention. One of the most influential tracks in drum and bass history was "Amen Brother" by The Winstons, which contains a drum solo that has since become known as the "Amen break", which, after being extensively used in early hip-hop music, went on to become the basis for the rhythms used in drum and bass.

Kevin Saunderson released a series of bass-heavy, minimal techno cuts as Reese/The Reese Project in the late '80s, which were hugely influential in drum and bass. One of his more famous basslines (Reese—"Just Want Another Chance", Incognito Records, 1988) was indeed sampled on Renegade's Terrorist and countless others since, being known simply as the 'Reese' bassline. He followed these up with equally influential (and bassline-heavy) tracks in the UK hardcore style as Tronik House in 1991–1992. Another Detroit artist who was important to the scene was Carl Craig. The sampled-up jazz break on Craig's Bug in the Bassbin was also influential on the newly emerging sound. DJs at the Heaven nightclub on "Rage" nights used to play it as fast as their Technics record decks would go, pitching it up in the process.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the tradition of breakbeat use in hip-hop production had influenced the sound of breakbeat hardcore, which in turn led to the emergence of jungle, drum and bass, and other genres that shared the same use of broken beats. Drum and bass shares many musical characteristics with hip-hop, though it is nowadays mostly stripped of lyrics. Grandmaster Flash, Roger Troutman, Afrika Bambaata, Run DMC, Mac Dre, Public Enemy, Schooly D, N.W.A, Kid Frost, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, Mos Def, Beastie Boys and the Pharcyde are very often directly sampled, regardless of their general influence.

Clearly, drum and bass has been influenced by other music genres, though influences from sources external to the electronic dance music scene perhaps lessened following the shifts from jungle to drum and bass, and through to so-called "intelligent drum and bass" and techstep. It still remains a fusion music style.

Some tracks are illegally remixed and released on white label records (technically bootleg), often to acclaim. For example, DJ Zinc's remix of Fugees' "Ready or Not", also known as "Fugee Or Not", was eventually released with the Fugees' permission after talk of legal action, though ironically, the Fugees' version infringed Enya's copyright to an earlier song. White labels, along with dubplates, played an important part in drum and bass musical culture.

The genre places great importance on the bassline, in this case a deep sub-bass musical pattern which can be felt physically through powerful sound systems due to the low-range frequencies favoured. There has been considerable exploration of different timbres in the bass line region, particularly within techstep. The bass lines most notably originate from sampled sources or synthesizers. Bass lines performed with a bass instrument, whether it is electric, acoustic or a double bass, are less common.

Atmospheric pads and samples may be added over the fundamental drum and bass to provide different feels. These have included "light" elements such as ambient pads as found in ambient electronica and samples of jazz and world musics, or "dark" elements such as dissonant pads and sci-fi samples to induce anxiety in the dancer.

Old-school DnB usually included an MC providing vocals. Some styles (such as jazz-influenced DnB) also include melodic instruments soloing over the music.

Drum and bass is usually between 160 and 180 BPM, in contrast to other breakbeat-based dance styles such as nu skool breaks, which maintain a slower pace at around 130–140 BPM. A general upward trend in tempo has been observed during the evolution of drum and bass. The earliest forms of drum and bass clocked in at around 130 bpm in 1990/1991, speeding up to around 155–165 BPM by 1993. Since around 1996, drum and bass tempos have predominantly stayed in the 170–180 range. Recently, some producers have started to once again produce tracks with slower tempos (that is, in the 150-170 bpm range), but the mid-170s tempo is still a hallmark of the drum and bass sound.

A track combining the same elements (broken beat, bass, production techniques) as a drum and bass track, but with a slower tempo (say 140 BPM), might not be drum and bass, but instead may qualify as a drum and bass-influenced breakbeat track.

Many mixing points begin or end with a "drop". The drop is the point in a track where a switch of rhythm or bassline occurs and usually follows a recognisable build section and breakdown. Sometimes, the drop is used to switch between tracks, layering components of different tracks, as the two records may be simply ambient breakdowns at this point. Some DJs prefer to combine breakbeats, a more difficult exercise. Some drops are so popular that the DJ will "rewind" or "reload" or "lift up" the record by spinning it back and restarting it at the build. The drop is often a key point from the point of view of the dance floor, since the drum breaks often fade out to leave an ambient intro playing. When the beats re-commence they are often more complex and accompanied by a heavier bassline, encouraging the crowd to begin dancing.

Although this practice has declined in popularity, DJs are often accompanied by one or more MCs, drawing on the genre's roots in hip-hop and reggae/ragga.

MCs do not generally receive the same level of recognition as producer/DJs, and some events are specifically marketed as being MC-free. There are relatively few well-known drum and bass MCs, mainly based in London and Bristol, including Stevie Hyper D (deceased), MC Conrad (deceased), the Ragga Twins, Dynamite MC, MC Skibadee (deceased) and MC Tali.

Many musicians have adapted drum and bass to live performances, which feature instruments such as drums (acoustic or electronic), samplers, synthesizers, turntables, bass (either upright or electric) and guitars (acoustic or electric). Samplers have also been used live by assigning samples to a specific drum pad or key on drum pads or synthesizers. MCs are frequently featured in live performances.

• Jump-up, appearing in the mid-1990s, employs heavy and energetic drum and bass, characterised by robotic and heavy bass sounds. It also is generally less serious and contains more humour than other subgenres.
• Drumstep or halftime is a combination of drum and bass and dubstep, where the beat structure is half time, while the remaining elements still adhere to the usual sub-bass and tempo of drum and bass.
• Drill 'n' bass (also known as fungle and spunk jazz) consists of very complex and chopped up rhythms, rapid and irregularly syncopated basslines and often ambient elements similar to earlier subgenres of IDM (like ambient techno). The subgenre was developed by names like Squarepusher, Luke Vibert (known as Plug) and Aphex Twin.

• Intelligent drum & bass or intelligent jungle is a smoother style, influenced by ambient music, chillout, jazz and soul music. It was pioneered by such artists as Omni Trio, Peshay, William Orbit, Seba, Blu Mar Ten, Deep Blue, Photek, LTJ Bukem and his label Good Looking Records, and the label Moving Shadow.
• Jazzstep, jazzy jungle, jazz & bass or drum & jazz demonstrates heavy influence by jazz and trip hop. It uses typical jazz scales, rhythms and instrumentation. It was pioneered by artists such as Alex Reece and LTJ Bukem, and was also utilized in DJ sets by early trip hop producers and DJs such as Kruder & Dorfmeister, Nightmares on Wax, Kid Loco, Thievery Corporation, and Mr. Scruff.
• Liquid drum and bass (or simply "liquid") draws heavily on harmonic and melodic grooves.
• Sambass, a Brazilian drum and bass style, incorporates elements from samba, bossa nova and other Latin music styles. Pioneered by artists such as DJ Marky.

• Darkstep is characterised by fast drums and a general dark mood, drawing influences from dark ambient, industrial and hardcore music.
• Techstep is characterised by sci-fi soundscapes and samples from science fiction culture. Pioneered by artists such as Bad Company UK, Ed Rush, Optical, Dom & Roland, and the label Moving Shadow.
• Neurofunk or neuro is the progression from techstep incorporating more elements from jazz and funk.
• Hardstep is a harder style which uses gritty basslines and heavy yet simple electronic melodies.
• Metal & bass or bass metal is a style which specifically uses heavy metal guitar riffs. Pioneered by artists such as Concord Dawn, Counterstrike, Pendulum, The Qemists, Dirtyphonics, Zardonic and others.
• Crossbreed is the amalgamation of industrial hardcore and drum and bass often combined with influences of metal and breakcore. It emerged in the mid-2000s, pioneered by record labels such as Prspct Recordings, Yellow Stripe and Future Sickness Records. Notable artists include Switch Technique, Gancher & Ruin, Cooh, Counterstrike, Katharsys, Sinister Souls and Lucy Furr.

Born around the same time as jungle, breakcore and digital hardcore share many of the elements of drum and bass. To the uninitiated, tracks from the extreme end of drum and bass may sound identical to breakcore thanks to speed, complexity, impact and maximum sonic density combined with musical experimentation. German drum and bass DJ The Panacea is also one of the leading digital hardcore artists. Raggacore resembles a faster version of the ragga-influenced jungle music of the 1990s, similar to breakcore but with more friendly dancehall beats (dancehall itself being a very important influence on drum and bass). Darkcore, a direct influence on drum and bass, was combined with influences of drum and bass itself leading to the creation of darkstep. There is considerable crossover from the extreme edges of drum and bass, breakcore, darkcore, digital hardcore and raggacore with fluid boundaries.

Intelligent dance music (IDM) is a form of art music based on DnB and other electronic dance musics, exploring their boundaries using ideas from science, technology, contemporary classical music and progressive rock, often creating un-danceable, art gallery style music.

Ghettotech, a club music genre from Detroit, contains synth and basslines similar to drum and bass.

Drum and bass is dominated by a small group of record labels. These are mainly run by DJ-producers.