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Toolvica

BPM Calculator

Convert between BPM, beat duration and bar duration. See every note length for your time signature.

10 – 300

Beat

500 ms

Bar

2.00 s

Beats / sec

2.00

Tempo

Allegro

NoteBeatsDurationUse
Tap to find BPM →Use in Metronome →

What this BPM Calculator offers

Convert between BPM, beat duration and bar duration for your time signature. Type a tempo from 10 to 300, enter a measured bar or beat length, or tap to find it. The full note table gives exact ms for delay and production.

  • BPM to beat and bar duration in seconds and milliseconds
  • Reverse solve from bar or beat duration to BPM
  • Time signatures 2/2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 3/8 and 6/8
  • Note table with dotted eighth and triplet for delay times
  • Tap shortcut, copy and send to metronome

How to use

  1. Type a BPM from 10 to 300, or tap Tap to find it, or enter a known bar or beat duration.
  2. Pick the time signature so bar length and beat unit match your music.
  3. Read beat and bar duration in seconds and milliseconds plus tempo marking.
  4. Use the note duration table for delay times, then copy or send to the metronome.

What is BPM?

BPM is beats per minute, the number of beats in one minute. 60 BPM is one beat per second, 120 BPM is two per second.

Beat duration is 60 divided by BPM in seconds, or 60,000 divided by BPM in milliseconds. Bar duration is beats per bar times beat duration.

At 120 BPM each beat is 500 ms, so producers set quarter-note delay to 500 ms, eighth to 250 ms and dotted eighth to 375 ms. Understanding this grid lets you lock delays, LFO rates and bar counts to tempo instead of guessing by ear.

Features

BPM to duration

Convert BPM to beat and bar duration in seconds and milliseconds, and back from any duration to BPM.

Note duration table

Whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth and thirty-second notes plus dotted eighth and triplet for delay and production.

Time signature aware

Bar length follows beats per bar for 2/2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 3/8 and 6/8, with the correct beat unit.

Tap, copy and practice

Tap shortcut to the BPM Tapper, one-click copy, and send the tempo to the metronome.

Tips

Match the meter

Pick the time signature from your sheet music so bar length and note values are correct.

Use ms for delay

Set quarter, eighth or dotted eighth ms values directly in your delay plugin.

Verify by ear

Send the tempo to the metronome and check it against your track before producing.

FAQ

How do you calculate BPM from beat duration?
Divide 60 by beat duration in seconds, or 60,000 by beat duration in milliseconds. At 0.5 seconds per beat, BPM is 60 divided by 0.5 which is 120. Reverse it the same way: beat seconds equal 60 divided by BPM, so 100 BPM gives 0.6 seconds or 600 ms per beat.
How long is a beat and a bar at 120 BPM?
One beat is 60 divided by 120 which is 0.5 seconds or 500 ms, with 2 beats per second. Bar length multiplies by beats per bar, so 4/4 is 4 times 0.5 which is 2 seconds, 3/4 is 1.5 seconds, and 6/8 is 6 times the eighth-note pulse. Pick your meter so the bar math matches your sheet music.
What is the difference from the BPM Tapper?
The Tapper measures an unknown tempo from your taps on anything you hear. This calculator converts a known BPM or a measured bar or beat duration into exact production timings. Tap first to find the number, then calculate here for delay, LFO and arrangement math.
Which time signatures are supported?
2/2 with half-note beats, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 common time, plus 3/8 and 6/8 compound meters. Bar duration equals beats per bar times beat duration, so the same 120 BPM gives different bar lengths per meter while the beat stays 500 ms.
How do I set delay times from BPM?
Read the note table for your tempo: quarter is 60,000 divided by BPM, eighth is half that, sixteenth a quarter, dotted multiplies by 1.5 and triplet by two thirds. At 120 BPM use 500 ms quarter, 250 ms eighth, 375 ms dotted eighth for the classic rhythmic delay, or 125 ms sixteenth for tight reverb pre-delay.
What is the exact formula with an example?
BPM equals 60 divided by beat seconds. Beat seconds equal 60 divided by BPM. Bar seconds equal beats per bar times beat seconds. Example at 90 BPM in 3/4: beat is 60 divided by 90 which is 0.667 seconds, bar is 3 times 0.667 which is 2 seconds, eighth is 0.333 seconds for your sidechain rate.

References

1. BPM formula — BPM equals 60 divided by beat duration in seconds, or 60,000 divided by beat duration in milliseconds.

2. Web Audio API — MDN. developer.mozilla.org/Web/API/Web_Audio_API

For practice and education. Timing accuracy depends on device performance and browser audio scheduling. For critical recording, compare with a hardware metronome.