An electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums, cymbals or other percussion instruments. Drum machines are most commonly associated with electronic music genres such as house music, but are also used in many other genres. They are also used when session drummers are not available or if the production cannot afford the cost of a professional drummer.

In the 2010s, most modern drum machines are sequencers with a sample playback (rompler) or synthesizer component that specialises in the reproduction of drum timbres. Though features vary from model to model, many modern drum machines can also produce unique sounds and allow the user to compose new drum beats and patterns.