BPM & Tempo Calculator
Convert beats per minute into note lengths and delay times in milliseconds.
About the BPM & Tempo Calculator
Enter a tempo in beats per minute. The calculator gives the length of each note value in milliseconds, plus dotted and triplet lengths, for setting delays and reverbs in time with a track.
At a given tempo a quarter note lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. Producers use these values to sync delays, reverb pre-delay and LFOs to the beat. A dotted note is 1.5× as long; a triplet is ⅔.
The formula
Quarter note (ms) = 60,000 ÷ BPM
Worked example
120 BPM
- Quarter note: 60,000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms
- Eighth note 250 ms; dotted quarter 750 ms
- One bar of 4/4 lasts 2 seconds
Questions people ask
How do I find a song's BPM?
Tap along to the beat for 15 seconds and multiply the taps by 4.
Is BPM always quarter notes?
Usually, but some time signatures count other note values.
How do I set a delay to the beat?
Use the eighth or dotted-eighth time; a dotted-eighth delay at 120 BPM is 375 ms.