Ambient music is a form of instrumental music that accentuates texture, tone, mood, and atmosphere. It does not contain the formal melodies or steady rhythms found in most popular music, opting instead to craft ambience from waves of aural textures

Some ambient albums also qualify as electronic music because their soundscapes are built on synthesizer pads. Ambient musicians often augment these synths with acoustic instruments and ambient sounds from nature. The aural quality of ambient music often overlaps with that of minimalism, drone rock, and new age music.