What Is Synthwave? Sound, Aesthetic, and Production
For Artists
Synthwave is a modern electronic genre that recreates the sound of 1980s synthesizer music, film scores, and video game soundtracks. It uses analog-style synths, gated reverb drums, arpeggiated basslines, and warm pad textures to recreate a retro-futuristic aesthetic that is equal parts nostalgia and science fiction. The music is almost entirely instrumental.
Synthwave sounds like the 1980s, but it was made in the 2010s and 2020s. That distinction matters. This is not 80s music. It is a modern interpretation of what the 80s sounded like, filtered through decades of hindsight and romanticized through film, television, and internet culture.
The genre does not pretend the 80s were real. It imagines an 80s that never existed.
The result is electronic music that is melodic, cinematic, and surprisingly versatile. For how synthwave relates to other electronic and retro-inspired genres, see Music Genres Explained.
What Synthwave Sounds Like
The sonic palette is specific. If you hear gated reverb on a snare drum, an arpeggiated synth bass, and a shimmering pad, you are in synthwave territory.
Sonic Characteristics
Element | Typical Treatment |
|---|---|
Synths | Analog-modeled or actual analog. Warm pads, bright leads, arpeggiated basses. |
Drums | Gated reverb snare (the "Phil Collins" sound). Punchy electronic kicks. Programmed, not live. |
Bass | Arpeggiated synth bass or sustained, pulsing bass tones. Often the rhythmic driver. |
Melody | Simple, memorable lead lines. Often pentatonic or minor scale. Plays like a film score theme. |
Tempo | 80-118 BPM. Mid-tempo. Rarely fast, never frantic. |
Atmosphere | Heavy reverb, delay tails, spatial effects that create depth and width. |
Vocals | Usually absent. When present, heavily processed with reverb and chorus. |
The production approach favors warmth over precision. Digital synths are often run through analog-modeled saturation and tape emulation to remove the clinical edge. The goal is a sound that feels like it was recorded to cassette tape, even though it was produced entirely in a DAW.
For the synthesis and signal chain fundamentals that underpin synthwave production, see Music Production Basics.
A Brief History
Synthwave originated in the mid-to-late 2000s in France, though the movement quickly became international and internet-native. Producers like Kavinsky, David Grellier (performing as College), and Anoraak were among the earliest names, creating music that sounded like lost soundtracks to 1980s action films.
The 2011 film "Drive," which featured Kavinsky's "Nightcall" and College's "A Real Hero," brought the sound to a mainstream audience. The film's success connected synthwave permanently to a visual aesthetic: neon lights, chrome, palm trees at sunset, and retrofuturistic cityscapes.
By the mid-2010s, a full scene had developed. Perturbator, Carpenter Brut, and Dance with the Dead pushed the genre harder and faster, incorporating metal and industrial elements. Com Truise, FM-84, and Timecop1983 stayed closer to the melodic, atmospheric side. The Midnight blended synthwave instrumentals with pop songwriting and became one of the genre's rare crossover acts.
The scene grew through Bandcamp, YouTube channels (NewRetroWave is the most prominent), and dedicated Reddit communities. Label infrastructure developed around Bandcamp and small independent labels rather than traditional distribution.
Subgenres and Adjacent Styles
Darksynth pushes the genre into heavier, more aggressive territory. Distorted synths, faster tempos, and horror-influenced atmospheres. Perturbator and Carpenter Brut are the primary reference points.
Dreamwave goes the opposite direction. Softer, more atmospheric, slower. FM-84 and Timecop1983 represent this approach.
Outrun is often used interchangeably with synthwave but specifically references the driving, high-energy side of the genre. Named after the 1986 Sega arcade game.
Retrowave is the broadest umbrella term, sometimes used to include synthwave alongside vaporwave, chillwave, and other retro-inspired electronic styles.
Artists to Study
Kavinsky: The entry point for most listeners. "Nightcall" is the genre's most recognized track.
Perturbator: Darksynth at its most intense. Study for aggressive synthesis and metal-electronic fusion.
The Midnight: Rare vocal-driven synthwave. Demonstrates how to bridge the genre with pop songwriting.
Com Truise: Slower, moodier, more experimental. Interesting rhythmic approaches within the retro framework.
Carpenter Brut: Cinematic, high-energy, and built for live performance.
Why Artists Should Understand Synthwave
Synthwave is smaller than many genres on streaming platforms, but it punches above its weight in several areas.
Sync licensing. Instrumental, cinematic, and mood-driven: synthwave tracks are a natural fit for TV, film, advertising, and video game placement. The retro-futuristic aesthetic is in demand for tech advertising, sci-fi content, and nostalgia-driven programming. For how sync placements work, see How to Get Your Music in TV, Film, and Ads.
Synthesis and production skills. Synthwave is an ideal genre for learning analog-style synthesis. The sounds are specific enough to give you a target but simple enough to achieve without years of sound design experience. Building a synthwave track teaches you subtractive synthesis, effects chains, and arrangement principles that transfer to any electronic production.
Visual branding integration. Synthwave is one of the few genres where the visual aesthetic is as defined as the sonic one. For artists thinking about branding, studying how synthwave artists integrate visual identity with sonic identity is a masterclass in cohesive artistic presentation.
Audience loyalty. Synthwave listeners are dedicated. The genre has lower churn than mainstream electronic playlists. Artists who find an audience in this space tend to keep them across multiple releases.
Community-driven distribution. Synthwave's reliance on Bandcamp and YouTube channels rather than major playlist networks is a model for niche genre artists who want to build a career outside the algorithmic mainstream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is synthwave the same as vaporwave?
No. Synthwave recreates and celebrates 80s electronic music. Vaporwave samples and deconstructs 80s and 90s corporate/consumer culture with an ironic or critical lens. Different intent, different sound.
Do I need analog synthesizers to make synthwave?
No. Software synths like TAL U-NO-LX, Diva, and Arturia V Collection emulate analog hardware accurately. Many well-known synthwave tracks were made entirely with plugins.
Can I sing over synthwave?
Yes. The Midnight, Gunship, and FM-84 all incorporate vocals. It is less common than instrumental synthwave, but vocal tracks can bridge the genre toward pop and indie rock audiences.
Read Next:
Niche Genre, Strategic Potential:
A well-defined genre identity makes every other career decision easier: who to collaborate with, which playlists to target, where to pitch for sync. Orphiq helps artists connect their sound to the right opportunities without losing what makes it theirs.