Explainer
BPM by Genre: Tempo Chart for House, Techno, Trap, DnB and More (2026)
Updated 3 min read
Common tempos by genre: hip hop 85–100 BPM, R&B 65–95, afrobeats 95–115, house 118–128, tech house 124–128, techno 125–140, trance 130–140, UK garage 130–138, trap 130–150, dubstep 140, drum and bass 170–176. These are typical ranges, not rules: plenty of hits sit outside them, but starting inside the range puts your track where DJs and listeners expect it.
BPM chart by genre
Hip hop / boom bap
- Typical BPM
- 85–100
- Common default
- 90
- Feel
- Swung, laid-back, snare on 2 and 4
Lo-fi hip hop
- Typical BPM
- 70–90
- Common default
- 80
- Feel
- Dusty and slow, heavy swing
R&B
- Typical BPM
- 65–95
- Common default
- 75
- Feel
- Half-time grooves, lots of space
Reggaeton
- Typical BPM
- 88–100
- Common default
- 95
- Feel
- Dembow rhythm, bouncy
Afrobeats
- Typical BPM
- 95–115
- Common default
- 105
- Feel
- Syncopated, swung percussion
Amapiano
- Typical BPM
- 108–115
- Common default
- 112
- Feel
- Log-drum bass, laid-back shuffle
Pop
- Typical BPM
- 100–130
- Common default
- 120
- Feel
- Wide range; most dance-pop sits at 115–128
Disco / nu-disco
- Typical BPM
- 110–125
- Common default
- 118
- Feel
- Four-on-the-floor, live bass
Deep house
- Typical BPM
- 118–124
- Common default
- 122
- Feel
- Warm, minor 7 chords, space
House
- Typical BPM
- 118–128
- Common default
- 124
- Feel
- Four-on-the-floor, offbeat hats
Afro house
- Typical BPM
- 118–124
- Common default
- 122
- Feel
- Layered percussion, rolling toms
Tech house
- Typical BPM
- 124–128
- Common default
- 126
- Feel
- Rolling bass, percussive
Melodic techno
- Typical BPM
- 120–128
- Common default
- 123
- Feel
- Hypnotic leads, long builds
Techno
- Typical BPM
- 125–140
- Common default
- 130
- Feel
- Driving, repetitive, synth-led
Hard techno
- Typical BPM
- 140–160
- Common default
- 150
- Feel
- Distorted kicks, relentless
Trance
- Typical BPM
- 130–140
- Common default
- 138
- Feel
- Rolling bass, big breakdowns
UK garage / 2-step
- Typical BPM
- 130–138
- Common default
- 132
- Feel
- Skippy kicks, shuffled hats
Trap
- Typical BPM
- 130–150
- Common default
- 140
- Feel
- Half-time feel, rolling hi-hats, 808
Drill (UK / NY)
- Typical BPM
- 138–145
- Common default
- 142
- Feel
- Half-time, sliding 808s, triplet hats
Dubstep
- Typical BPM
- 138–142
- Common default
- 140
- Feel
- Half-time, snare on beat 3
Future bass
- Typical BPM
- 130–160
- Common default
- 150
- Feel
- Half-time, chopped supersaw chords
Hardstyle
- Typical BPM
- 150–160
- Common default
- 150
- Feel
- Distorted, pitched kicks
Jungle
- Typical BPM
- 160–170
- Common default
- 165
- Feel
- Chopped breakbeats, deep sub
Drum and bass
- Typical BPM
- 170–176
- Common default
- 174
- Feel
- Two-step breaks, fast and rolling
House music BPM
House music sits between 118 and 128 BPM. Deep house is the slow, warm end (118 to 124), classic, piano and afro house run 120 to 126, and tech house pushes 124 to 128 for a driving groove. A DJ can mix anything in that range together with small pitch changes, which is why the window is so tight. Step-by-step production is in how to make house music.
Techno BPM
Techno spans roughly 125 to 140 BPM. Melodic techno is slower (around 120 to 128) to leave room for long leads and reverbs; peak-time and Berlin-style techno sits around 128 to 135; hard and industrial techno often runs 140 to 160. See how to make melodic techno for the slower end.
Trap and drill BPM: half-time explained
Trap is written at 130 to 150 BPM (usually 140) but feels like half that, because the snare lands on beat 3 of each bar instead of beats 2 and 4. The hi-hats run in fast 8ths, 16ths and triplet rolls at the full tempo, while the kick, snare and vocal move at the half tempo. Drill and dubstep use the same trick at about 140. When a BPM detector reports 70 for a trap song, double it.
Drum and bass, jungle and garage
Drum and bass runs 170 to 176 BPM, with 174 the modern default; jungle is a little slower and built from chopped breakbeats. UK garage is slower again at 130 to 138, with the same skippy kick placement as drum and bass but heavily swung hats. All three patterns are written out in our drum patterns by genre guide.
Turn BPM into delay and reverb times
A quarter note lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds: 500 ms at 120 BPM, 484 ms at 124, 429 ms at 140 and 345 ms at 174. An eighth note is half of that, a dotted eighth three quarters, and a 16th a quarter. Use these for delay times and reverb pre-delay, or let a tempo-synced delay such as Drift follow your DAW automatically.
90
- 1/4 note
- 667 ms
- 1/8 note
- 333 ms
- Dotted 1/8
- 500 ms
- 1/16 note
- 167 ms
120
- 1/4 note
- 500 ms
- 1/8 note
- 250 ms
- Dotted 1/8
- 375 ms
- 1/16 note
- 125 ms
124
- 1/4 note
- 484 ms
- 1/8 note
- 242 ms
- Dotted 1/8
- 363 ms
- 1/16 note
- 121 ms
128
- 1/4 note
- 469 ms
- 1/8 note
- 234 ms
- Dotted 1/8
- 352 ms
- 1/16 note
- 117 ms
140
- 1/4 note
- 429 ms
- 1/8 note
- 214 ms
- Dotted 1/8
- 321 ms
- 1/16 note
- 107 ms
174
- 1/4 note
- 345 ms
- 1/8 note
- 172 ms
- Dotted 1/8
- 259 ms
- 1/16 note
- 86 ms
How to pick a BPM for your track
- Start from the genre's default in the chart, then nudge by 1 or 2 BPM to taste.
- Match a reference: find the tempo of a track you love with our free key and BPM finder.
- Think about the vocal: a rapper or singer needs room. Slower tempos suit dense lyrics; faster ones suit short hooks.
- Decide on half-time early: 140 BPM can be a fast techno groove or a slow trap beat, depending on where the snare lands.
FAQ
What BPM is house music?
Most house music is between 118 and 128 BPM. Deep house usually sits around 118 to 124, classic and piano house around 120 to 126, and tech house around 124 to 128. 124 BPM is a safe default.
What BPM is techno?
Techno usually runs from about 125 to 140 BPM. Melodic techno sits at the slower end (around 120 to 128), peak-time techno around 128 to 135, and hard techno is faster, often 140 to 160.
What BPM is trap?
Trap is usually produced between 130 and 150 BPM, with 140 the most common. Because the snare lands on beat 3 instead of 2 and 4, it feels like half that tempo, around 65 to 75 BPM, which is why trap can sound slow and fast at the same time.
What BPM is drum and bass?
Drum and bass runs at about 170 to 176 BPM, with 172 to 174 the modern standard. Jungle, its older cousin, often sits a little lower, around 160 to 170.
What BPM is dubstep?
Dubstep is almost always around 140 BPM, with a half-time feel: the snare hits on beat 3, so it feels like 70 BPM.
How do I find the BPM of a song?
Drop the file into a BPM detector such as our free key and BPM finder, or tap along with a tap-tempo button for a few bars. Check whether the result is double or half the real tempo, which is common with trap and dubstep.