What is tempo (BPM)?

BPM stands for Beats Per Minute - the number of quarter-note beats in one minute. It's the primary measure of musical speed. Common tempos range from 60 BPM (slow ballad) to 180+ BPM (fast drum & bass).

Note timing at 120 BPM

Whole note: 2000 ms
Half note: 1000 ms
Quarter note: 500 ms
Eighth note: 250 ms
Sixteenth note: 125 ms

Genre BPM reference

Genre	Typical BPM range
Reggae / R&B	60–90
Hip-hop	60–100
Pop	100–130
Dance / House	120–135
Techno	130–150
Drum & Bass	160–180
Hardcore / Gabber	160–220+

How tap tempo works

Each tap records a timestamp. The tool calculates the average interval between consecutive taps using a rolling window of recent taps. After 3–4 taps, the reading becomes stable. Early taps may show a wider range - keep tapping to let the average smooth out.

Tap in time with the beat of a song to find its BPM, then use the result to match a metronome, sync a loop pedal, or set a DAW's project tempo.

BPM and time signatures

BPM always counts quarter-note beats regardless of time signature. This means a waltz at 120 BPM (3/4 time) has a beat every 500 ms but a bar every 1,500 ms - 3 beats per bar instead of 4. A song in 6/8 time feels like it has 2 strong beats per bar (compound duple meter), each divided into three eighth notes rather than two.

When tapping along to a waltz or compound meter, tap on the main strong beat of each bar rather than every individual beat to capture the felt tempo.